Stuart Watson Epperson (commonly known as Stu Epperson or Stuart W. Epperson Sr.), born November 2, 1936, in Greensboro, North Carolina, was an American businessman, broadcasting executive, politician, and prominent evangelical leader. He grew up on a tobacco farm and began his radio career in 1961 by acquiring his first station in Roanoke, Virginia. Epperson co-founded Salem Media Group in 1986 alongside his brother-in-law Edward G. Atsinger III, building it into a major conservative Christian broadcasting network with radio stations, publishing, and digital media focused on evangelical and conservative content. He served as co-founder, CEO until 2015, Chairman thereafter, and Executive Vice President, providing extensive radio industry experience and leadership in operations and programming. Under his leadership, Salem Media Group grew to own over 100 radio stations across the United States and emphasized faith-based programming, including talk radio shows hosted by conservative figures. He maintained significant influence through family ownership even after stepping back from daily operations.

Epperson was deeply involved in conservative politics and religious organizations. He served as president of the Council for National Policy (CNP), a secretive conservative group that networks influential figures in politics, business, and religion to advance right-wing agendas, and was a member of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). His political activities included supporting Republican causes and candidates, endorsing figures like Donald Trump and sponsoring Mitt Romney, and making major donations to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He held significant influence in evangelical and conservative media networks, collaborating with figures like Hugh Hewitt and James Dobson. Married to Nancy Epperson (née Atsinger), he was the father of Stuart W. Epperson Jr. and uncle to Edward G. Atsinger (or Edward C. Atsinger in some records).

His career was marked by commitment to Christian values in media, but also drew criticism for promoting partisan content that some accused of spreading misinformation and divisiveness. While no major legal controversies or scandals are prominently documented, his affiliations with networks like the CNP have been scrutinized by critics for their role in influencing policy and elections. Epperson passed away on July 17, 2023, leaving a legacy as a key architect of conservative media infrastructure.