PBS Foundation

News & Information

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Remarks

Paula Kerger
Development Conference
Baltimore, MD
October 4, 2006

Thank you, and good morning. It's terrific to be here today.

In fact, of all the public television meetings that I have attended in the close to 7 months that I have been in this job, this is the meeting that I have looked forward to most.

It is wonderful to see so many good friends, as well as so many new faces.

To those attending your first conference, I want you to know how very pleased we all are to have you in our midst. You will find this to be an extraordinary community of people who support one another.

I hope both old friends and newcomers find this to be a productive and energizing few days. I will be with you for the full conference and look forward to talking with as many of you as I can.

As Beth suggested, this conference really does represent a homecoming for me – in every sense of the word.

As most of you know, development is where I got my start and where I have spent the majority of my professional life.

Actually, my involvement with development even predates my professional career.

One of my early memories as a child was going door to door with my grandmother collecting for the heart fund.

In my family, volunteerism was a priority and to this day continues to be a tremendously important part of my life.

This conference represents a personal homecoming for me as well.

I was born in Baltimore Women's hospital, which used to be located not too far from here. I grew up on Maryland Public Television and at an early age fell in love with public broadcasting.

When I was a little girl, I used to sit in front of the living room TV, completely captivated by "Hodgepodge Lodge," a local afternoon children's show on MPT.

It was this wonderful little program that taught kids about nature and animals and the environment. The host was Miss Jean Worthley.

But as much as I loved Miss Jean, the person I credit with really inspiring my appreciation for this medium was my grandfather.

For those of you who have heard me speak before, you know that I talk about him a great deal as he was an extraordinary influence on my life.

My grandfather was a professor at what used to be called Baltimore Junior College – it's now known as Baltimore City Community College – and it's about 10 minutes north of here on Liberty Heights Avenue.

In 1951, while my grandfather was teaching at BJC, he helped found an on-campus public radio station – WBJC – that's still on the air today.

You'll find it at 91.5 on the FM dial. If you get a chance while you're in town, take a listen. It's a great little station that is helping to keep the classical music format alive in public radio.

As a little girl, I remember sitting close to my grandfather at night, listening to radio signals from far away.

It felt like magic and indeed, it was.

Thanks to my grandfather, the first opera I ever heard was on public radio.

The first ballet I saw was on public television.

"Masterpiece Theatre," "Great Performances," "Live from Lincoln Center" – they were part of my life before they became part of my job.

I suspect many of you can say the same thing: Public Television was a part of us long before we crossed the thresholds of our stations.

Every person in this room not only knows, but feels, the importance of the work we do, because we live it.

I know these have been challenging times for public broadcasting.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7