KBBI selects Krohn as new General Manager

KBBI Public Radio, AM 890, has hired Homer native Joshua “Josh” Krohn as its new General Manager, KBBI Board President Genie Hambrick announced in an email on Monday. Krohn will start in mid-September.

“I’m very excited to have this opportunity,” he said in the press release. “KBBI is where I got my start in radio, and to have the chance to direct the station’s future is something of a dream.”

Krohn comes to KBBI from KVNO 90.7 Classical Radio, in Omaha, Nebraska, where he is senior audio engineer and production coordinator. He has been with that station since 2007. Previously he was station manager/general manager of KUHB-FM, St. Paul, Alaska, in the Pribilof Islands.”

“Josh grew up in Homer, but he is not just returning to his hometown,” Hambrick said in the press release. “He is also returning to the very place where he began his career in radio broadcasting. When he was 13, he became an intern at KBBI under the guidance of Gary Thomas, then the general manager, and Dave Webster, who was news director.”

Krohn graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in communications and broadcasting, and he is a certified Audio Engineer through the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

“KBBI has been my model for how a station can interact with its community and engage its listeners beyond the standard simulcast of national content and occasional local inserts,” Krohn said in the press release. “I’ve always been impressed with KBBI’s dedication to keeping volunteers on the air, as well as in other roles, where many stations have taken steps to remove their volunteers entirely. Maintaining a professional sound, while keeping the station accessible to participation is one of KBBI’s greatest strengths, and something I hope to be able to build upon.”

Krohn said he’s excited to return to Homer after being away 20 years.

“I’m excited at the prospect of returning, so my wife, Kate, and I can raise our son in a place where wilderness still exists and is accessible out one’s back door,” he said. “And I love Homer’s immersive arts culture, and the opportunities offered in music, theatre, and other creative pursuits.”

Josh was recommended to the Board of Directors by a 10-member search committee who screened all applicants, interviewed those who were most qualified via Skype, then narrowed the field to three finalists who were interviewed in person by the committee, as well as KBBI’s full staff.

The committee included KBBI members John Anderson and Sean Campbell, representing the community; staff members Kathleen Gustafson, Alder Snow, Scott Waterman, and Kim Wylde; and board members Nicole Arevalo, Genie Hambrick, Robert Purcell, and Kyle Schneider.

“Josh’s having grown up in Homer is a plus, but that wasn’t the primary factor in our decision to offer the position to him,: Hambrick said. “His skills and experience were foremost, and, from his application all the way through the interviews, he demonstrated that he is a thoughtful, articulate, creative problem-solver. We’re excited that he’s coming to KBBI.”

Hambrick said KBBI also is indebted to interim general manager Waterman, “whose leadership for the past several months has done more for KBBI than any of us could have imagined or hoped for,” she said. “In a short time, he has helped the staff and volunteers make real progress in many areas, and we look forward to his continuing involvement with the station.”