2022 Champion of Public Broadcasting Awards
The Champion of Public Broadcasting Award is given to political leaders and other individuals who safeguard the ability of local public television stations to provide education, public safety and civic leadership services to their communities.
Governor Henry McMaster (R-SC)
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented the 2022 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, in recognition of his support – and funding – of SCETV and its educational datacasting initiative.
“Governor McMaster’s early investment of $1.3 million was critical to expanding datacasting at South Carolina ETV (SCETV) to help provide educational content to students without broadband access in rural and remote areas across the State,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS.
“There are 193,000 South Carolina households, or nearly one in 10 households, which lack access to broadband. Thanks to Governor McMaster’s support, SCETV’s datacasting technology, which reaches nearly 98 percent of the State, is bridging the digital divide by delivering classroom content to homes through datacasting over television spectrum, allowing them to receive the same content that broadband-enabled students can access.
“Governor McMaster has been an essential partner in educating children in South Carolina during the coronavirus pandemic, and ensuring that standards-based, curriculum-aligned digital educational content will be available to all beyond this crisis. America’s Public Television Stations are honored to present Governor McMaster with the 2022 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award he so richly deserves.”
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented the Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA).
As a long-serving member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard has helped protect and increase funding for local public media stations through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and ensured that the nation’s children have access to the highest quality educational content through public television’s Ready To Learn program. As chair of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, she has strongly supported public broadcasting’s public safety and homeland security work.
“Chairwoman Roybal-Allard has been a long-time friend of public broadcasting, and has championed our work for decades,” said APTS president and CEO Patrick Butler. “We are especially grateful that, for the last two years, she has proposed $20 million to support upgrades in public media’s public safety infrastructure in the House Homeland Security Appropriations bills.
“Sadly for all of us, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard will be retiring at the end of this Congress. But the impact she has had on local public broadcasting stations, and the lives of all Americans, will be felt for generations to come,” Butler said. “It is my great privilege to present the 2022 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to the Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard of California.”
2022 David J. Brugger Lay Leadership Award
The Brugger Award is named in honor of the longest-serving president of America's Public Television Stations, who led the organization from 1987 to 2000.
Carol Kellermann, representing The WNET Group in New York, New York
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented the 2022 David J. Brugger Lay Leadership Award to Carol Kellermann, representing The WNET Group in New York, New York.
Since joining the APTS Board in 2016, Kellermann has played a critical role in securing enhanced federal funding for public media. With her help and guidance, funding for public media has increased by $30 million over the last two years – the first increases after a decade of level funding – and public media stations received $250 million in COVID-related emergency assistance through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.“
Carol Kellermann is an extraordinarily effective advocate for public broadcasting,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations. “Her decades of leadership in philanthropic and nonprofit enterprises and government service made Carol a particularly distinctive addition to our board, and her work on behalf of local public television stations will benefit our system for many years to come.
“Carol has set a new standard for lay leadership in public media, and her commitment and talent perfectly capture the spirit of David Brugger, the long-time president of APTS,” Butler said. “We are immensely grateful for her generous investment of time, energy and towering reputation on our behalf, and we are honored to present the 2022 David J. Brugger Award to Carol Kellermann.”
2022 Pillar of Public Service Award
Franz Joachim, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of New Mexico PBS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented its Pillar of Public Service Award to Franz Joachim, general manager and chief executive officer of New Mexico PBS, for his pioneering work in deploying datacasting technology to enhance remote learning and public safety communications in the State.
The Pillar of Public Service Award recognizes the contribution of an extraordinary leader and innovator in one or more of public television’s three essential public service missions: education, public safety, and civic leadership.
Under Mr. Joachim’s leadership, New Mexico PBS has made it possible for hundreds – and ultimately thousands – of students with no or limited Internet access to receive educational resources at home, using a slice of the state public television network’s broadcast spectrum to deliver such material through the airwaves to devices in the home.
A pilot project demonstrating the effectiveness of this technology, called “Educast,” was supported by $1.5 million in state funding awarded by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to the Public Education Department from federal emergency education relief funds.
This same datacasting technology is also being used to send vital public safety communications to law enforcement officers and first responders throughout New Mexico, including rural and remote areas where cellular service is unavailable.
KRWG Public Media at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and KENW in Portales are also participating in these education and public safety datacasting initiatives.
And New Mexico PBS in 2021 became the first public television station in the nation to fully convert to the new ATSC 3 Next Gen broadcast standard, creating more channel capacity for local programming and more spectrum capacity for datacasting applications of all kinds.
“Franz Joachim and his talented team at New Mexico PBS have dramatically demonstrated the power of public television to deliver a broad range of essential public services under even the most challenging conditions,” said Patrick Butler, president and chief executive officer of America’s Public Television Stations.
“New Mexico is a big State with a small population, and New Mexico PBS has brought them all together when it counts, in partnership with a state government that understands the potential of public television datacasting to serve its people and has invested significant resources to help realize this potential.
“Franz’s leadership in conceiving these extraordinary services and securing this essential funding is an inspiring example for everyone in the public broadcasting system,” Butler said, “and he has richly earned this Pillar of Public Service award.”
2022 Excellence in Innovation Award
WHUT-TV and Howard University, Washington, D.C.
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented the 2022 Excellence in Innovation Award to WHUT-TV and Howard University, for their leadership in bringing NEXTGEN TV broadcasting to the nation’s capital, and for their pioneering work in the NEXTGEN TV Digital Learning Lab. The award was accepted by WHUT-TV General Manager Sean Plater and Howard University SVP of Corporate Relations Debbi Jarvis.
The new ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard will bring much-enhanced video and sound quality, and a dynamic Internet Protocol-based platform to broadcasting. This new broadcast standard will enable ongoing innovation, improved capabilities to provide mobile services, and significant advances in spectral efficiency, enabling public television stations to offer additional programming and education, public safety and civic leadership interactive experiences to their communities.
“By serving as the host ATSC 3.0 station in Washington, D.C., WHUT-TV is making the NEXTGEN TV services of five stations available to millions of viewers in the national capital area,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations.
“In collaboration with the National Association of Broadcasters, WHUT-TV and Howard University have established the Media Technology Innovation Learning Lab to create the future of television in Washington, D.C. Working with the Howard University schools of engineering and communications, the lab is dedicated to educating the next generation of broadcast leaders and learning how to make the most of the opportunities of ATSC 3.0 to enhance public service.
“This is truly pioneering work, reflecting and enhancing the pathbreaking reputation of a great television station and an iconic university, guided by innovative, dedicated and passionate leaders like Sean Plater and Debbi Jarvis,” Butler said. “It is my honor to present the well-deserved 2022 Excellence in Innovation Award to WHUT-TV and Howard University.”
2022 National Advocacy Award
Polly Anderson, Executive Director of OETA in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented the 2022 National Advocacy Award to Polly Anderson, Executive Director of OETA in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for her work in building relationships and support for public broadcasting within the Oklahoma congressional delegation and State Legislature.
The APTS National Advocacy Award is presented to station leaders who excel in telling the story of their local station’s work in education, public safety and civic leadership, and how federal and State funding make that work possible.
“Polly Anderson is a tireless advocate for public broadcasting, helping to strengthen our ever-growing bipartisan support both in Congress and at the State level,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS.” “Thanks to Polly’s relentless efforts, the State of Oklahoma’s support for public television has grown consistently during her tenure.
“Polly has also been an extraordinarily effective advocate with her congressional delegation – always connecting with them on issues that they care about, and helping to grow their understanding of the impact OETA has on the lives of Oklahomans. This outreach has been particularly important with Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Subcommittee that provides public media funding.
“Polly’s commitment to fortifying his strong support for public media has been tremendously important for the entire public media system,” said Butler. “We are extremely grateful for Polly’s work and are honored to present her with this most well-deserved National Advocacy Award.”