Dick Whitworth, new assistant vice president for media, leaves his on-air role to oversee all of the Northwestern Media stations.

Dick Whitworth to oversee Northwestern Media
After almost 34 years in radio and media, Dick Whitworth isn’t about to leave. But he is moving a little farther away from the microphone as Northwestern Media’s new assistant vice president (AV P) for media. Whitworth has been station manager at Life 107.1 KNWI in Des Moines, Iowa, for the past six years and before that spent over 28 years with New Life Radio in Illinois. As AVP he will provide executive oversight to all Northwestern Media stations except KTIS.

He began his new position in January but will continue to work at KNWI, behind the scenes and on the air, until his replacement comes on board.

After that his only air time will be for fundraising. "My primary focus in these challenging economic times will be to maximize traditional forms of funding and fundraising," explained Whitworth, "and also work on new avenues that present themselves in the weeks and months to come."

Another area of focus in Whitworth’s new role will be technology and integration of new forms of media with current programming to better reach listeners. While some say Facebook, Twitter, texting and other new forms of media threaten to replace radio, Whitworth sees instead a clear opportunity.

"As culture changes, obviously our message doesn’t change," Whitworth said. "We will continue to play great music, run lifestylerelevant promotions that care about individuals and give our listeners opportunities to help others. But how we get the message to our listeners is changing. We want to utilize our resources in the most efficient and effective ways possible."

Whitworth and his wife Jayne are still in Des Moines while their daughter Jodi finishes her senior year of high school. The Whitworths plan to relocate to the Twin Cities sometime this summer and Jodi will attend Northwestern in the fall.

Written by Nancy Zugschwert.