America's Public Television Stations

Dolores Fernandez Alonso serves as the president and CEO of South Florida PBS (SFPBS), the merged organization that brings together WPBT and WXEL to collectively represent the seventh largest television market in the United States. She is one of the first women in PBS to have led a merger, to launch a 24/7 Health Channel and to have quadrupled the size of the SFPBS endowment.   

Fernandez Alonso is a visionary and a leader in NEXTGEN TV and immersive media, preparing her stations to meet the demands of ATSC 3.0. She is a strong proponent of experiential learning and as such has made it an integral part of SFPBS’ mission. This has resulted in the creation of Emmy Award-winning, 360-degree content and educational apps. Her leadership in integrating the digital space into all station productions has propelled exponential growth on SFPBS’ streaming and social media platforms. Through her solid stewardship, she has secured the funding for the expansion of the SFPBS studios in Palm Beach County to include an arts and cultural center complete with an immersive igloo for experiential learning opportunities for the South Florida community.

Fernandez Alonso began her television career in 1990 at the international newsgathering division of Disney/ABC News Inc.-Worldwide Television News in New York. In 1998, she joined WPBT2 as vice president for facilities services, where she was responsible for the for-profit activities. She was promoted to station manager in 2002 and to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2003.  

Fernandez Alonso currently serves as a board director of PBS; board trustee of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) and a member of its Finance and Membership Committee; a member of the Strategic Forum; a member of the NSU Levan Ambassadors Board; a member of the FIU School of Communication, Architecture and Arts Advisory Board; a past chair and current board member of Florida Public Media, a statewide consortium of Florida public television and radio stations; past president of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Florida Forum and a current board member of the IWF North America Global Forum. Additionally, she is past chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) Nonprofit Business Committee and of the GMCC Creative Industries Committee.

As a proud bilingual Hispanic, Fernandez Alonso earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish literature from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami.