At PBS helm, Paula Kerger must seek Solvency

AT PBS HELM, PAULA KERGER MUST SEEK SOLVENCY
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Diane Mermigas]
Paula Kerger's mission as the new chief of the Public Broadcasting Service is to give the endearing and endangered institution financial autonomy in a digital media world that desperately needs what PBS has to offer. A 13-year veteran of New York's flagship PBS station WNET and the Educational Broadcasting Corp., Kerger has been driven her first three months on the job by high-energy intensity and an unspoken acceptance that PBS' rebirth or collapse could occur on her watch. She is driven by knowing first-hand the value of a national public television connection to grassroots artists, culture, politics and issues. Kerger is determined to push public broadcasting beyond survival on a wish and a prayer. The key is to develop new content to generate funds on digital broadband interactive platforms and devices that will more than offset the decline of federal support and make PBS more economically viable. It also is crucial for public broadcasting to establish an interactive loop with consumers to manage free and fee-based content offerings, memberships and sponsorships.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyID=2006-06-13T065432Z_01_N13348266_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-PBS-DC.XML&archi...

* John Boland has been named as the first Chief Content Officer for PBS. He currently holds the same post at noncom KQED San Francisco, one of PBS' anchor national programmers.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6343462?display=Breaking+News

* Embracing Digital Era, PBS Hires John Boland of KQED to Fill New Post
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/arts/television/14pbs.html
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* At PBS, a Change in the Lineup
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/13/AR2006061301620.html