A search for a general manager of WOI-AM and FM, located in the Communications Building, is now underway.

John Dobson, chair of the search committee and associate vice provost for research and advanced studies, said the applications for the position are due April 1.

The position involves general managing, programming and fund raising, as well as budget management. The new general manager will also lead a professional staff of 20 employees and a part-time staff of 15.

“We will bring some of the candidates to campus to do a standard interview procedure,” Dobson said.

Dobson does not know how many applications the search committee will receive. “I don’t know because it’s a very specialized field,” he said. “It depends on who, in the public radio family nationwide, is interested in the position.”

The new general manager will succeed Rick Lewis who left the position several months ago to become director of programming for Audible Words Inc., a company in New York City. The interim general manager is Donald Wirth.

“We want somebody who will be able to lead that group (staff) in a positive and creative way,” Dobson said. “There’s no problem areas that we’re looking at now.”

The new general manager should also have good management skills, Dobson said.

The search committee for the new general manager includes George Carpenter, former vice president and general manager of WHO Broadcasting Co. and former executive director of Iowa Public Television; Art Neu, former Iowa lieutenant governor; Douglas West, vice president and branch manager of A.G. Edwards & Sons, Des Moines.

The ISU committee members include Dobson; Elizabeth Elliott, former associate dean in family and consumer sciences; Don Forsling, WOI senior producer; Sandra Gartz, secretary, office of vice president for external affairs; Rachel Jeffreys, WOI producer; Diana Pounds, manager of internal communications; Steffen Schmidt, professor of political science; Kirk Smith, associate professor of music; and Daniel Zaffarano, former vice president for research and dean of the Graduate College.