Jared Johnson, interim GM and CEO of WVIK in Rock Island, Ill., will fill the top leadership role on a permanent basis, the station announced Tuesday.
The promotion went into effect Wednesday, Johnson told Current. He had served in the interim role since October.
Johnson replaces Jay Pearce, who retired last year after leading the station for more than a decade.
“To say it’s an exciting time in the history of WVIK would be putting it mildly,” Johnson told Current in an email. “Between digital transformation and broadcast expansion, we are in the midst of some pretty radical changes. I know we’re small when compared with a lot of our public radio colleagues, but the industry is pretty clearly shifting and I’m honored to have this chance to pilot this little ship through these changing times. And as a home-grown candidate who truly loves this community he grew up in, I’m thrilled by the fact that so many indicators are pointing toward ‘local’ as the key to our future.”
The station is set to expand in May by airing its news and classical programming on separate FM signals.
Johnson joined WVIK in 2014 as director of corporate support and marketing. He later became director of development and community engagement.