Woodward Community Media Classic Hits “99.7 CVS” WCVS-FM Hillsboro/Springfield IL is adding veteran market personality Jim Leach as afternoon host starting January 1.

Leach previously served as News Director and afternoon host at News/Talk 92.7 WMAY-FM Taylorville and morning host at Classic Hits “102.5 The Lake” 970 WMAY/102.5 W273DR Springfield until departing in June 2023 to become a public information officer with the Illinois Department of Public Health. He will be staying with that position as he joins WCVS-FM. Leach had spent much of his career at WMAY starting as a board-op while in college in 1983. After a stint in television, he rejoined the station part-time in 1990 and full-time in 1995 as Program Director. He has been hosting a daily talk show on the station from 1996 until his departure.

Leach shared on Facebook, “I first went into radio (decades ago) with the idea that I would get to talk to listeners and play lots of my favorite music, and that dream is still a powerful pull for me today. A lot of people have reached out, thinking that I’ll be doing pretty much what I was doing before, and that is not the case. As I told a friend this morning, I’m a Renaissance man! I have many interests, and playing great music and talking about community events are the ones I’ll be showcasing here. (Not to mention that | am keeping my day job, which I love, but which really isn’t compatible with the type of show I used to do). So I hope you will tune in weekday afternoons, starting New Year’s Day, and will enjoy some great music and less-intense-than-what-l’m-generally-known-for conversation.”