CTV has named Wendy Freeman as the new president of CTV News, two weeks after Robert Hurst announced his retirement.

Freeman, a 17-year veteran of the network, will become president on January 3.

She has held the position of vice president and executive producer of CTV National News since 2001.

"Wendy has been understudying this role for years. She will lead us into the next generation of news," Ivan Fecan, president and CEO of CTVglobemedia, said in a statement Wednesday.

Freeman said the job was a "dream come true."

"I look forward to working with Canada's best news team to explore new opportunities that will bring us even further into the digital age," she said.

"This is an exciting time for CTV News."

In her role as executive producer of CTV National News, Freeman oversaw award-winning coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the death of Pope John Paul II, the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and most recently, the rescue of trapped Chilean miners.

Freeman has also held a variety of other senior management positions within CTV News, and worked with Toronto's Citytv.

Hurst, a veteran newsman who has been president of CTV National News since September 2002, announced his decision to retire on Dec. 1.

"CTV News has been No. 1 for 22 years," he said. "The reporting team is the best in Canada and well positioned to remain No. 1 for many years."