CBC has confirmed Jennifer McGuire as the new general manager and editor-in-chief of its news division, handing the former radio exec the duties if not the precise title vacated last year by John Cruickshank.

McGuire has been interim head of CBC News since November. The posting, made permanent on Wednesday, puts her atop CBC Newsworld, all local and network news and current affairs programming on TV and radio, and cbcnews.ca.

‘She’s done a superb job since last fall, not only leading our news team, but also in championing our ongoing initiative to position CBC News as a fully integrated, multiplatform service for Canadians,’ said CBC EVP Richard Stursberg in a statement, going on to call her ‘one of the country’s best programmers.’

McGuire was previously head of CBC Radio, and executive director of news programming under then-publisher Cruickshank.

Her appointment follows word that CBC News’ Don Newman, a giant on the political beat, is retiring, reportedly taking the network up the early retirement offer put forth during the recent layoffs. The host of Politics on Newsworld will depart after the show wraps its current season in June.