Paula Kerger
American media executive (born 1957)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paula Kerger (born December 20, 1957)[1][2] is an American media executive who has served as president and chief executive officer of PBS since 2006.
Paula Kerger | |
|---|---|
Kerger in 2012 | |
| Born | December 20, 1957 |
| Education | University of Baltimore (BS) |
| Occupation | Media executive |
| Title | President and CEO of PBS |
Early life and education
Kerger grew up outside Baltimore, Maryland, where her grandfather, a college physics professor, helped found the city's public radio station.[3] She attended the University of Baltimore as a pre-med student before switching to business, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1979.[3][4]
Career
After graduating, Kerger was hired as a program development officer for UNICEF. She continued working in the nonprofit sector, becoming director of principal gifts for the Metropolitan Opera in 1989.[3][2] Her first job in public media was as development director for the New York area public television station WNET, where she began working in 1993.[2] She became WNET's station manager in 2000, then chief operating officer of its parent company in 2004.[5]
Kerger became PBS' president and CEO in March 2006.[6] In 2011, she initiated distribution deals with British channels Sky UK and Virgin Media.[5] Kerger has sought to expand PBS' digital presence, launching the streaming service PBS Passport and brokering a distribution deal with YouTube TV.[2] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she partnered with public school systems to offer programming that complemented distance learning programs.[7]
In 2024, PBS' board of directors extended Kerger's contract for five years. She is the network's longest serving chief executive and the second woman to serve in the role.[8][9]
In March 2025, Kerger testified in a House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing, defending PBS' federal funding.[10][11] She has criticized the Trump administration's funding cuts and lobbied against them, saying there is no "white knight" who will save public broadcasting.[12][13]