IU Provost Lauren Robel appointed Robert Anderson the interim executive director at Radio/TV services and WFIU/WTIU On Sept. 23, days ahead of the retirement of Perry Metz. Anderson will remain at this post until a search committee, led by IU Vice President Brad Wheeler, finds a candidate to fill the position permanently.
Anderson was the assistant general manager under Metz and has worked for IU Radio/TV services for more than 10 years. Before Anderson came to IU, he worked for Jack Morton Worldwide in New York City for more than 10 years.
Under Metz, Anderson was the assistant general manager of content and production. He was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of three departments at Radio/TV services including corporate development, production and digital. He was in this position for 11 years.
“We are first and foremost a service unit for IU at large,” Anderson said.
Anderson said his favorite part of the job so far is the variety of content and programming that IU Radio/TV services works on every day.
WFIU/WTIU is dedicated to serving the people of south-central Indiana and those at IU as well, he said.
The top priority at WFIU/WTIU, Anderson said, is to serve the readers, listeners, viewers and university constituents. Anderson said he wishes to continue to meet the expectations that those before him have set.
“It is important for me to continue this good work and support my colleagues and their various projects and enterprises,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the first few days of his appointment has been hectic and full of brand-new responsibilities and challenges, but that he is ready to meet these challenges head on.
“It is important to focus on ensuring a seamless transition between the changing of leadership from Metz to me and ensuring this transition again when the next director or manager is appointed by the search committee and Provost Robel,” Anderson said.
The search committee first assembled when Metz announced his retirement and has been working ever since. The job should be posted in the coming weeks, and the search is expected to take several months, Wheeler said. Hopefully somone will be appointed sometime in the spring, Anderson said.
“Metz was a terrific leader for a long time, and we will miss him greatly,” Anderson said.
