PBS Annual Meeting 2024 — Day 2 Highlights
Day two of Annual Meeting opened with the PBS NEWSHOUR team revealing life behind the scenes and the community effort it takes to bring trusted news to viewers across the country. Our panel delved into how they cover today’s most important events by bringing the show closer to the stories through on-site reporting, which we see in AMERICA AT A CROSSROADS. Next, attendees were treated with a special on-stage version of WASHINGTON WEEK WITH THE ATLANTIC which was filled with levity amongst the in-depth discussion of the current election cycle.
Following the panel, we saw a preview of the upcoming programming from the National Multicultural Alliance before we took a quick break.
We returned with PBS Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Ira Rubenstein to celebrate the many successful marketing campaigns and product enhancements and to preview how we will be connecting with our viewers in the years to come. After showcasing our strategy for future sustainability, Evan Shapiro, known as a Media Cartographer, advocated for an updated user-centric model that will reach new users digitally where they already consume media content. He was joined on-stage for a post-presentation discussion on how PBS is planning for a new media future.
We continued our focus on a bright and engaging future with a preview of upcoming programing from INDEPENDENT LENS, POV and FRONTLINE, which was followed by a fireside chat with PBS President & CEO Paula Kerger and Raney Aronson-Rath, Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer
of FRONTLINE. We finished the morning of presentations with Susi Elkins, PBS’s SVP of Station Services, who reaffirmed our commitment to a sustainable framework to help public media’s impact grow.
Our colleagues returned after attending breakout sessions to learn about CPB’s new, digital-first civic content and engagement initiative. Kwame Alexander, poet, educator, Emmy-winning producer and #1 New York Times bestselling author, had the audience laughing and deeply moved as he showcased how PBS can form community, build bridges and find the stories that bring hope to millions.
We ended the day with a preview of upcoming shows from AMERICAN MASTERS, GREAT PERFORMANCES, a quick shout out from ANTIQUES ROADSHOW who filmed in Las Vegas recently, and a panel with MASTERPIECE’s GRANTCHESTER cast who discussed the new season and new vicar’s impact on the long-running show.
