TV Barn-"PBS picks a new boss

TV Barn: "PBS picks a new boss

And she's a woman. Who knows how to raise money.

PBS NAMES PAULA KERGER NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

Public Television Leader Becomes Sixth PBS President

ALEXANDRIA, VA, January 23, 2006 – Paula A. Kerger, a top executive at New York’s Educational Broadcasting Corporation, licensee of Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York – two of the nation’s largest public television stations – will become the Public Broadcasting Service’s sixth president and chief executive officer on March 13, the PBS Board of Directors announced today. Ms. Kerger will direct the operations of the nation’s largest public broadcasting service, comprised of 348 member stations that reach more than 99 percent of U.S. television households. She will succeed Pat Mitchell, who announced her plan to step down as PBS’ president and CEO in February 2005. “I am honored and thrilled to become the next president and CEO of PBS,” Ms. Kerger said. “I firmly believe that public television’s greatest days lie ahead, and I am truly excited to be working with this wonderful organization and all the public television stations across America to realize the full promise of this medium. Now more than ever, Americans need a strong public television system. I am committed to doing all I can to ensure that they have it.”"