LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Rod Bates, longtime general manager of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications, has announced he will retire next year.

Bates is only the second leader in the statewide public broadcaster’s 58-year history. He was hired when the network’s founding general manager, Jack McBride, retired in 1996.

Bates said Friday he plans to retire on March 31.

As general manager, Bates is in charge of a staff of more than 200 employees with an annual budget of $22 million from state, federal and private sources. He is also the director of University Television and the general manager for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s station, KUON-TV.