Charles W. “Chuck” Holmes, a veteran journalist and newsroom leader at NPR in Washington, D.C., has been named the General Manager of Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM, the listener-supported service of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Holmes will direct the operations of WBHM and the Alabama Radio Reading Service, a resource for the blind and print-impaired, as he develops and executes a strategic plan for the station’s news, programming, fund-raising and community engagement endeavors.
Holmes has led NPR’s daily news operation as Deputy Managing Editor since 2013 and previously served as Supervising Senior Editor of Morning Edition, one of the nation’s most-listened-to radio programs. Among his accomplishments at NPR, he shared the Peabody Award for his editorial guidance of “The Race Card Project.” His role in the network’s coverage of the war in Afghanistan earned an Edward R. Murrow Award.
“Chuck will lead a great team of public media professionals as they continue growing WBHM with quality journalism, meaningful programming, impactful community outreach and new and innovative fundraising efforts to support the station,” said Anne Buckley, APR, UAB’s chief communications officer.
“It’s a privilege to join WBHM and lead its talented staff,” Holmes said. “Robust coverage of local news and strong information and arts programming are vital to Birmingham and the communities of North Central Alabama.
“My family’s roots run deep in Alabama, and my commitment to the mission of public radio runs deep, too – serving the audience and making the community a better place to live,” Holmes said.
Prior to joining NPR in 2009, Holmes was foreign editor of Cox Newspapers (now the Cox Media Group) and earlier served as a foreign correspondent, posted in Jerusalem and Moscow, for the Atlanta-based company. Holmes gained industry recognition for his coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Kosovo, the Rwandan genocide and civil war, and the war in Afghanistan.
A Tennessee native, Holmes received a B.A. in Journalism from The George Washington University. He begins at UAB on Jan. 9, 2017.