MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26
11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Welcome Luncheon and Presidential Address
Welcome to the 2024 Public Media Summit
Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America's Public Television Stations
Remarks by Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Development and Production Officer, Sesame Workshop
Presentation of citation from Governor Wes Moore (D-Maryland) to Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations
Presented by Joy Thomas Moore, President and CEO, JWS Media Consulting; Board Member, Maryland Public Television Foundation
Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award to Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations
Remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris
President's Annual Address
Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
General Session
Legislative Consultants Panel
- Patrick Butler, President and CEO, APTS
- Jim Dyer, Senior Advisor, Baker Donelson
- Danica Petroshius, Principal, Penn Hill Group
- Keith Kennedy, Principal, Kennedy Enterprises
Watch a recording of this panel discussion.
Presentation of the 2024 Pillar of Public Service Award
Presented by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America’s Public Television Stations
To Molly Phillips, Former Executive Director and General Manager, Iowa PBS
Remarks by Larry D. Unger, President and CEO, Maryland Public Television; Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations
Remarks by Governor Wes Moore (D-Maryland)
Remarks by Nico Leone, President and CEO, KERA, Dallas, Texas
Remarks by U. S. Representative Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Co-Chair, Congressional Public Broadcasting Caucus
Presentation of the 2024 David J. Brugger Lay Leadership Award
Presented by David Brugger, Brugger Consulting; Former President and CEO, America’s Public Television Stations
To Dorothy Pacella, Former Executive Director, Friends of Thirteen, Inc. at The WNET Group
Greetings from Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Legislative Session (Closed to Press)
Advocacy Strategies for Federal and State Funding
- Jennifer LaTourette, President and Chief Operating Officer, Van Scoyoc Associates
- Eric Ueland, Former Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs for President Trump
- Phil Cox, Founding Partner, 50 State
- Roshan Patel, Partner, 50 State
- Kate Riley, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, America’s Public Television Stations
- Will Glasscock, Legislative and Policy Consultant, America's Public Television Stations
- Cait Beroza, Director, Digital Advocacy, America’s Public Television Stations
- Jennifer Kieley, Senior Director, Government Relations, America’s Public Television Stations
- Colleen McGowan Florio, Director, Government Relations, America’s Public Television Stations
Watch a recording of this session.
Remarks by Jay Campbell, President, CAV International, representing NHK WORLD-JAPAN in the USA, introducing Junko Tanaka, Managing Director, NHK WORLD-JAPAN.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast Session
Remarks by FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
Remarks by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr
The Future of Technology
- Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
- Andrew Russell, President and CEO, PBS SoCal, Los Angeles, California
- Stacey Decker, Senior Vice President of Innovation and System Strategies, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- Moderated by Michelle Shanahan, General Counsel, America's Public Television Stations
Watch a recording of this session.
Presentation of the 2024 Excellence in Innovation Award
Presented by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America’s Public Television Stations
To Edward J. Ulman, President and CEO, Alaska Public Media
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
General Session
Remarks by Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
Remarks by Ambassador Gaddi H. Vasquez, Lay Trustee/Former Board Member, PBS SoCal, Los Angeles, California; Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations
Partners in Public Service Panel
- Darren LaShelle, President and CEO, Northern California Public Media, and Brian Ferguson, Deputy Director of Crisis Communications, California Office of Emergency Services
- Kurt Mische, President and CEO, PBS Reno, and Jim Verdi, Principal, Spanish Springs Elementary School, Washoe County, Nevada
- Dr. Daniel Shellenbarger, General Manager, Ohio Public Media Services, and Bob Smith, Chair, Ohio Broadcast Educational Media Commission
- Moderated by Brigadier General (Ret.) Leo A. Brooks, Jr., Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations
Watch a recording of this session.
Remarks by FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington
Remarks by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez
APTS/APTS Action, Inc. Annual Membership Meetings
Presentation of the 2024 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award
Presented by Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO, New Mexico PBS; Board Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
To Lonna Thompson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, America’s Public Television Stations
Remarks by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Grant Center for Public Media Presentation
Meegan White, Director, The Grant Center for Public Media
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Session
Join Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent and former Anchor and Managing Editor of PBS NewsHour, and Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB, in a conversation exploring the value of public media in bridging divides and empowering citizens to participate in America’s democracy and find their civic spark.
Judy will share insights from her new PBS series America at a Crossroads, which explores the forces driving Americans apart, through conversations with people from all backgrounds to determine what might be done to reverse this polarization.
The lunch will highlight public media’s role in delivering fundamental and essential resources to inform public discourse, promote civic engagement and contribute to the well-being of our nation.
1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
General Session
System in Transition (Closed to Press)
What do stations want in the next APTS President and CEO?
What are the biggest challenges facing stations today, and what should we do about them?
How do we make greater progress in diversity, equity and inclusion with our workforce?
- Dolores Fernandez Alonso, President and CEO, South Florida PBS; Board Professional Vice Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
- David Steward II, Former Board Chair, Nine PBS, St. Louis, Missouri; Board Lay Vice Chair, America’s Public Television Stations
- Amy Shaw, President and CEO, Nine PBS, St. Louis, Missouri; Chair, Affinity Group Coalition (AGC)
- Adrienne Fairwell, President and CEO, SCETV; Board Member, America’s Public Television Stations
Watch a recording of this session.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Dinner Session
Join Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, for a dinner spotlighting the essential role public media plays in our democracy by helping to build the workforce of the future through PBS KIDS content.
Highlights will include remarks from Kim Kelling, Director of Content and Community Partnerships at WFSU in Tallahassee, Florida, and a panel discussion led by Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS KIDS, with behind-the-scenes perspectives from the producers of WORK IT OUT WOMBATS! and the brand-new LYLA IN THE LOOP.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Breakfast Program
Welcome by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations
Remarks by Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President and CEO, WETA
Presentation of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award to Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon)
Presentation of the 2024 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia)
Presentation of the 2024 National Advocacy Award to Kurt Mische, President and CEO, PBS Reno
Presentation of the 2024 Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin)
Closing remarks by Patrick Butler, President and CEO, America's Public Television Stations