CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Greg Petrowich, executive director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's WSIU Public Broadcasting, will be a member of the Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors.

Petrowich’s three-year term begins July 1. The terms can be renewable twice for a total of nine years on the board. He will be one of approximately 36 board members.

The private nonprofit educational organization is “dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities,” according to its website. The organization receives funds from individuals, corporations, foundations, the Illinois General Assembly through the Illinois Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Petrowich oversees operation of WSIU’s three public radio stations -- WSIU, WUSI and WVSI; two PBS stations -- WSIU and WUSI; and the Southern Illinois Radio Information Service. WSIU Public Broadcasting is within the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts

Prior to coming to WSIU in April 2009, Petrowich was chief executive for seven years of KUAC-FM/TV/DT -- the public broadcasting stations at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Prior to that, he managed KRCU-FM, the public radio service at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, from May 1996 to April 2002. He also served as operations director at the station from August 1991 to May 1996.

Petrowich earned his bachelor’s degree in radio-television from SIUC in 1991.

He is currently on the board of directors for National Public Radio, and the Rotary Club of Carbondale-Breakfast.

WSIU will soon benefit from a digital overhaul of its TV production facilities, thanks to a $749,000 Public Television Digital Transition Grant from the Rural Utilities Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This grant is critical to WSIU’s future,” says Greg Petrowich, Executive Director of WSIU Public Broadcasting. “With so many citizens watching us for free, over-the-air, we must maintain the highest quality in our digital signal.”

The funds will enable WSIU to replace failing analog equipment in its television production facilities with new digital studio cameras and lenses, camera pedestals, teleprompters, and camera control units. New digital switching, routing, and monitoring equipment will complete the upgrade, which could begin as early as the fall of 2011.

Providing locally-relevant programming to the region is a critical component of WSIU’s public service mission, which is why the stations devote more than 190 hours per year to local productions, including Scholastic Hi-Q, the River Region Evening Edition, alt.news 26:46, election programming, and the weekly public affairs magazine series WSIU InFocus. Updating the TV production area will ensure that WSIU can produce local programming that meets today’s technical standards, which in turn will improve overall quality.

“Throughout rural Southern Illinois, our viewers depend on WSIU for programs that address issues of local importance,” says Petrowich. “This long-overdue modernization of our television production facilities will enable us to continue to produce locally-relevant content that meets the needs of the communities we serve.”

An added benefit of the digital renovation is the opportunity for students in the SIUC College of Mass Communication and Media Arts to gain professional experience with cutting-edge equipment they will likely be using in their careers after graduation.

“We’re thrilled to receive this USDA grant,” says Gary Kolb, Dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. “It will allow us to introduce truly state of the art equipment into our production workflow at WSIU, which will benefit the stations, faculty, staff, and students. WSIU continues to be an integral part of our academic programs in the College and what benefits them directly impacts the education we deliver in our classrooms, as well as our research projects.”

Greg Petrowich, executive director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s WSIU Public Broadcasting, is mid-way through his first term on the National Public Radio governing board.

Petrowich, who came to WSIU in March 2009, is one of 10 station managers from across the country on the board. The station managers, along with six public members and the NPR Chief Executive Officer, make up the 17-member board.

“It has been an eye-opening, sometimes challenging experience,” said Petrowich. “Locally we focus most on news and programming. On the board, we look at everything- policies, financing and programming.”

Petrowich serves on three committees as part of his board duties: membership and governance, development, and distribution and interconnect.

“I think it is important for people to take a turn in the governing process,” said Petrowich. “It is important to have a variety of viewpoints. Public radio in Los Angeles and New York City is quite different than in Southern Illinois. Everyone needs to be represented.”

A recent project the board has been overseeing is the renovation of a newly purchased building for the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.

While being a member of the governing board is not designed to give members an advantage, Petrowich said it does obviously help with the flow of communication.

“When you are involved in the frontline you have a better understanding of what is coming down the pipe,” said Petrowich. “New media is one of the areas we are tracking and is rapidly developing. It is good to be up-to-date on the issues and new trends.”

Petrowich added that in addition to the large geographic region served by WSIU, the high number of students receiving hands on experience at the station make it somewhat unique to the NPR system.

Currently, approximately 100 SIUC students work in a variety of areas with WSIU alongside 33 full time employees and 100 plus volunteers.

“We use the operations of WSIU radio and television as a teaching and programming experience for students,” said Petrowich.

In addition to his duties on the NPR governing board, Petrowich has a full load of projects locally with WSIU. Renovating the workspace and programming for multicast television channels are two of the larger, on-going projects.

“The building we are in was designed for broadcasting 40 years ago,” said Petrowich. “We are currently spending out two grants that will transform the television studios into modern studios, which will help students to gain more knowledge for today’s work place.”

“As far as the television programming, we have three times as much real estate to program with the addition of channels 8.2 and 8.3”

Petrowich said that in 2009 WSIU television went to a multi-channel format which now allows the broadcast of more programming, including SIUC basketball games, local programs, etc.

Two items Petrowich is currently paying particular attention to are the 50^th Anniversary celebration for WSIU and federal funding challenges. Currently, WSIU receives about a third of its $3.5 million budget from federal grants.

Petrowich earned his bachelor’s degree in radio-television from SIUC in 1991. He and his wife have two children.

A party with a purpose drew an enthusiastic group of more than 50 participants to the WSIU-TV studio Sunday.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the public television station, and the group who showed up at the studio in the SIUC Communications Building had a great time reminiscing while helping identify hundreds of photos taken over the years.

They included past and present WSIU employees and board members, as well as other longtime fans of the station.

They were greeted with music spanning those five decades and a teeming buffet table. Glittering over the table was a "WSIU" logo, each letter outlined by tiny lights, dating back to the late 1970s or early '80s. Jak Tichenor, WSIU news director, said the sign used to be a familiar sight when the station broadcast from the Du Quoin State Fair. "We would hang it on the antenna near the geodesic dome" that held SIUC exhibits, Tichenor said.

Tichenor grew up in Metropolis and said he was fortunate to have such a good broadcasting school close to home. He received a bachelor's degree in 1979, then returned in 1981 to begin work on his master's degree while working for WSIU Radio. He later switched to the television station.

But Myers and Frances Walker arrived even longer ago, in 1963, while the Communications Building was still under construction, Myers said. "We held classes in the home ec building (now Quigley Hall)," he recalled.

Myers "designed and built everything, from sets to furniture to specialized equipment" for the fledgling station, other longtimers recalled.

Greg Petrowich, director of WSIU Public Broadcasting Service, said he was delighted with the turnout. Monica Tichenor, coordinator of public information for the service, said she plans to post some of the old photos on Facebook. "We're hoping to get more identifications - plus stories" about the photos, she said.

Large clear plastic bins held the photos, divided into broad categories. As IDs were established, the volunteers wrote the information on sticky notes, put them on the photos and moved them into other bins designated for identified images. As the groups worked away, the "identified" tubs began to fill.

They group used two techniques.

Some, like Mary Ellen Dillard and Barbara Lesar, sat at tables and steadily worked through stacks of pictures. "This is fun," Dillard said while stopping momentarily to sip some coffee. She said she recognized plenty of people. Lesar, who has lived in Carbondale since 1967, had plenty of memories to mine as well.

Others would table-hop with their photos, hoping others would supply one or two missing names from group photos of fundraisers and other special events. Sometimes one guest would hit on a first name, while another would supply the last.

Many of the guests also reminisced over poster-sized photos lining the walls of the studio - personalities like the late Erv Coppi and Virginia "The Duchess" Marmaduke. Some also marveled over the evolution of broadcasting equipment, as huge, cumbersome cameras that changed lenses via a "turret" device gave way to small digital video cameras with zoom lenses.

A screen in the studio showed still more images from the five decades of WSIU-TV programs.

As one image flashed on, Jak Tichenor pointed out a young "Piano Man" - Billy Joel performing live in the very studio where guests were milling about. Joel was a guest on a "Sessions" show formerly produced in Carbondale, along with numerous other nationally known performers.

"We've just preserved some of our old tapes digitally," Tichenor said. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has given the station $70,000 to preserve old taped footage, particularly scenes shot in Cairo and the area during civil rights protests and interviews with World War II veterans that were done in conjunction with the Ken Burns production about the war. The CPB American Archive pilot project, he said, will both create archives at a few selected stations in the country and develop standards for preserving the material.

"We will be setting an archival standard for public stations nationally," Tichenor said.

Gary P. Kolb, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, announced Greg Petrowich's hiring today (Feb. 23) as the new executive director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's WSIU Public Broadcasting. The appointment requires ratification by the SIU Board of Trustees.

Petrowich has more than 18 years experience in the public broadcasting field. He is the general manager and CEO of KUAC-FM/TV/DT -- the public broadcast stations at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a post he has held since April 2002. Prior to that, he managed KRCU-FM, the public radio service at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, from May 1996 to April 2002. He also served as operations director at KRCU-FM from August 1991 to May 1996.

Petrowich replaces Candice S. Isberner, who retired in April. Delores J. Kerstein, WSIU Public Broadcasting associate director, has been serving as interim director.

"¨I'm thrilled to have Greg Petrowich join us here at WSIU Public Broadcasting as the new executive director" Kolb said. "He brings a wealth of experience and a reputation for solid performance to the job. Greg is a Saluki alumnus from our Radio-Television program and has an abiding love for the University and a deep knowledge of WSIU. He is the strong leader we needed at this time of many challenges and I look forward to working with him to build on the many successes of WSIU."

A Red Bud native who grew up in New Athens, Petrowich got his start in public broadcasting as a volunteer coordinator at WSIU-FM from August 1989 to August 1990. He served as assistant operations manager at WSIU-FM from August 1990 to August 1991.

Petrowich earned his bachelor's degree in radio-television from SIUC in 1991; he earned SIUC Broadcasting Service Student of the Year honors also in 1991.

Petrowich was among three "very strong" finalists for the position, Kolb said. He thanked the search committee for its "excellent job conducting our search in the fall" -- including in getting a high-quality and diverse pool of applicants to apply.

KUAC-FM/TV/DT has 25 full-time employees with an annual operating budget of $3.4 million. Petrowich is president of Alaska Public Broadcasting Service and Alaska One Public Television.

Petrowich said his academic experience at SIUC and professional work experience at WSIU proved to be equally significant factors in shaping my career path. He said he looks forward to returning to SIUC, and hopes to start on or about March 30.

It's an incredible honor to have the chance to return to SIU and work with the team that introduced me to the mission of public broadcasting, he said.

"I believe now more than ever our society requires independent and trusted media sources. WSIU has a rich tradition of serving Southern Illinois in this role for half a century, however, when it comes to the media landscape, all of us know that the next 50 years will have little in common with the last 50" he said. "Our challenge is to create a sustainable media organization for the future that meets the needs of the community and the University while always remaining true to our core values."

Petrowich's prior experience also includes jobs as an announcer/newscaster at WHCO-AM in Sparta, a news producer at WIDB in Carbondale, and a sportscaster at WXAN-FM in Ava. He was the valedictorian at New Athens High School in 1987.

Petrowich and his wife have two children.