WFYI Public Media on Tuesday named public broadcasting veteran Greg Petrowich as new CEO, replacing Lloyd Wright, who announced his retirement in September after 30 years as the organization’s leader.
Petrowich becomes just the fourth president in WFYI’s 49-year history.
Petrowich has big shoes to fill. Wright is a member of the Indiana Broadcasters Association Pioneer Hall of Fame, and has been credited for increasing WFYI’s radio and TV stations audience as well as ushering in unprecedented technological advances.
WFYI Public Media runs television station WFYI-TV Channel 20 and radio station WFYI-FM Channel 90.1.
Petrowich has spent the past 10 years as executive director at WSIU Public Broadcasting in Carbondale, Illinois.
“I’ve had my eye on WFYI for some time, and have developed a respect and appreciation for how the organization has positioned itself for the future,” Petrowich said in a written statement. “Now, with the statewide news collaborative and the energy from the city and the team at WFYI, I can’t think of a better time to be part of this organization that is clearly carving out its space as essential in Indy and in public media nationwide.”
The selection ends a six-month national search and a two-year succession plan by the WFYI board of directors, which worked with Koya Leadership Partners, an executive search firm. More than two dozen candidates were screened with six finalists selected before Petrowich emerged as the unanimous choice, WFYI officials said.
“Greg is a collaborative leader. He’s always suggesting new ideas and bringing people together around those ideas,” WFYI Board Vice Chair Brenda Horn said in a written statement. “His passion for public media comes through at all levels, and he has tremendous leadership experience in the national public media organizations. We’re beyond thrilled to have him lead WFYI into the future.”
Over the past five years at WSIU, Petrowich also served as president of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council.
Prior to WSIU, he spent seven years as general manager of KUAC-FM/TV in Fairbanks, Alaska, while simultaneously serving as president and CEO at Alaska One Public Television.
He also spent six years as the general manager at KRCU-FM in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
From 2009-2015, Petrowich served two consecutive three-year terms on the board of directors for National Public Radio.
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