ARLINGTON, Va.—America’s Public Television Stations has shared details of what the virtual 2021 Public Media Summit, taking place Feb. 22-23, will look like, and how it will recognize how public TV stations have been “rising to the challenge” over the past year.
Among the topics APTS’ Public Media Summit will discuss are the response of public TV stations to the COVID-19 pandemic, from remote learning initiatives to providing vital information; the racial reckoning occurring in the country, speaking with Lonnie Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and founding director of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture, and PBS host Margaret Hoover; as well as exploring the latest technology and service innovations, including NextGen TV.
Other speakers lined up for the summit include:
- Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS
- Nikki Bethel, president and CEO, Emma Bowen Foundation
- Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
- Ken Burns, documentarian
- Milton Clipper, president emeritus, Public Broadcasting Atlanta
- Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
- Susi Elkins, director of broadcasting and general manager, WKAR Public Media
- Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr., historian and filmmaker
- Laura Hunter, station manager & COO, Utah Education and Telehealth Network and KUEN
- Franz Joachim, general manager & CEO, New Mexico PBS
- Ajamu Kitwana, board member, WXXI
- Mark Newman, executive director, Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations
- Madeleine Noland, president, ATSC
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
- Dr. Penny Schwinn, Tennessee commissioner of Education
- Norm Silverstein, president & CEO, WXXI
- Tashanda Thomas, chief human resources officer, WXXI
- John Taylor, senior vice president, Public Affairs & Communications, LG Electronics USA
- Edward Ulman, president & CEO, Alaska Public Media
- Larry D. Unger, president & CEO, Maryland Public Television
- Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor, “PBS NewsHour”
The full schedule for the 2021 Public Media Summit is available on APTS’ website.
