America's Public Television Stations

The APTS Public Media Summit is the largest annual gathering of public broadcasting general managers and community leaders who come together to explore issues that are vital to the future and mission of public service media. The 2017 Public Media Summit was held Monday, February 27, 2017 - Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at the Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, 24th and M Streets NW, in Washington, D.C. The 2017 Summit celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act.

To view photos from The 2017 Summit, click on the links below.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Welcome to The 2017 Public Media Summit by Eric Hyyppa, Board Chair, APTS and APTS Action, Inc., and Director and General Manager, MontanaPBS.

Recognition of Summit sponsors and exhibitors by Tela Hansom-Pitt, Manager, Member Services, and Executive Assistant to the President, APTS.

Patrick Butler, President and CEO, APTS, will give his Annual Address.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
General Session – Ballroom

The Honorable Joseph A. Califano, Jr., chief domestic policy advisor to President Johnson, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare for President Carter, and the author of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, shared his experiences in the creation of the Public Broadcasting Act and its broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Secretary Califano was presented a Champion of Public Broadcasting Award.

Dr. Robert Hilliard, Chief, Educational Broadcasting Branch of the FCC (1967) and WGCU Board Member, Fort Myers, Florida, recounted the enactment of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

David Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Sinclair Broadcast Group, addressed the new service and business opportunities of the Next Generation Digital Broadcast Standard – ATSC 3.0.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
General Session – Ballroom

• Tom Axtell, General Manager, Las Vegas PBS
• Jerry Franklin, President and CEO, Connecticut Public Broadcast Network
• Rich Homberg, President and CEO, Detroit Public Television
• Teya Ryan, CEO and President, Georgia Public Broadcasting

Highlights of The APTS Grant Center for Public Media by Emil Mara, Vice President, Finance, Administration and Membership, APTS, and Meegan White, Project Director, The Grant Center, APTS.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Dinner Session – Ballroom

Presentation of the David J. Brugger Lay Leadership Award to Diane Rehm.

Enjoy dinner and program with our host NHK WORLD TV.

• Jay Campbell, President, CAV International
• Takaaki Takai, Head of Programming and Executive Producer of "Five Years, Five Stories," NHK WORLD TV
• Tomohiko Yokoyama, Director, NHK Sendai
• Miki Meek, Producer, This American Life
   
• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
 

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Breakfast Session – Ballroom

Opening remarks by Ronnie Agnew, Professional Vice Chair of APTS and APTS Action, Inc. and Executive Director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

This session highlighted Washington D.C. area stations' approach to our three pillars of public service: education, public safety and civic leadership.

• Sharon Rockefeller, President and CEO, WETA, spoke about her station's leadership in civic leadership.
• Larry Unger, President and CEO, Maryland Public Television, shared information on his station's education work.
• Jefferi Lee, General Manager, WHUT, discussed about his station's role in public safety and its celebration of Black History Month.

APTS/APTS Action, Inc. Membership Meetings
Conducted by Eric Hyyppa, APTS and APTS Action, Inc. Board Chair and General Manager, MontanaPBS, and Incoming 2017 APTS and APTS Action, Inc. Board Chair, Ronnie Agnew, Executive Director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
General Session – Ballroom (Closed to Press)
APTS Action, Inc. Legislative and Political Consultants. Moderated by Kate Riley, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, APTS.

• J. Keith Kennedy, Principal, Kennedy Enterprises
• Jennifer LaTourette, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates
• Domenic Ruscio, Partner, Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates
   
• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
General Session – Ballroom

Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor, of the PBS NewsHour, discussed the political climate in the new Washington.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

• Cait Beroza, Advocacy & Social Media Manager, APTS
• Jennifer Kieley, Director, Government Relations, APTS
• Will Glasscock, Legislative and Policy Consultant, APTS
   

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Lunch Session – Ballroom

This lunch session featured Paula Kerger, President and CEO, PBS, and PBS Board Member Secretary Chuck Hagel followed by a presentation and discussion of results of the "Voter Attitudes Towards Public Television Federal Funding" voter survey by Linda DiVall, Executive Chairman and CEO, American Viewpoint; Rebecca Naser, Senior Vice President, Hart Research Associates; and Tucker Eskew, Partner, Vianovo.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.

2:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
General Managers Session – Ballroom
The Broadcast Spectrum Auction, Station Repacking and The Next Generation Digital Standard

John McCoskey, Industry Lead Executive – Communications, Media and Technology, Eagle Hill Consulting, gave the big picture on the broadcast spectrum repacking and the expectations of the Next Gen broadcast standard.

Federal Communications Commission Panel Discussion on the end of the auction and expectations in the repacking process. Moderated by Lonna Thompson, Executive Vice President, COO and General Counsel, APTS.

• Michelle Carey, Acting Chief, Media Bureau
• Hillary DeNigro, Associate Chief, Media Bureau
• Gary M. Epstein, Chair of the Incentive Auction Task Force
• Jean Kiddoo, Deputy Chair of the Incentive Auction Task Force
   
• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.
   

Opening Remarks from Patrick Butler, President and CEO, APTS.

Welcome from Carol Kellermann, incoming Lay Vice Chair of APTS and APTS Action Boards and Lay Representative from Thirteen/WNET, New York.

Remarks by Thomas A. Daffron, former Chief of Staff to Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Fred Thompson (R-TN) and Bill Cohen (R-ME)

Moderated by Cait Beroza, Advocacy & Social Media Manager, APTS.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.
   

Public Media: Fostering a Civil Society

CPB President and CEO Pat Harrison hosted a dinner conversation about public media's role in fostering a civil society through content and engagement at the mark of the 50th Anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act.

Special guests included Candice Millard, journalist, historian, and author discussed the power and role of in-depth and investigate storytelling and journalism, and lent her voice along with others, to the importance of history, education and civics to our nation's future and a thriving democracy. Ms. Millard's New York Times bestseller Destiny of the Republic became the basis for an American Experience documentary, Murder of a President. Stanley Nelson, award-winning filmmaker, also spoke at this dinner session.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

Remarks by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Public Broadcasting Caucus.

Presentation of the 2017 Champion of Public Broadcasting Awards to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Presentation of the 2017 Champion of Public Broadcasting Awards to U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.

Presentation of the 2017 Pillar of Public Service Award to Lisa Trapani Shumate, Associate Vice President and General Manager, Houston Public Media.

Presentation of the 2017 National Advocacy Award to Roy Clem, Executive Director, Alabama Public Television.

• Please take a moment to view the photos of this session.