ARLINGTON, VA; June 23, 2021— PBS today announced the election of Paul Hunton to serve as a member of its Board of Directors. Hunton’s term as a professional director will begin on July 1, 2021. He will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Kim Johnson, who is leaving her position at PBS 12 at the end of June.
Hunton has spent the past decade in content and strategic leadership roles across public media. He first joined Texas Tech Public Media (TTPM) as Content Director and was quickly promoted to General Manager in 2015. As the General Manager, he oversees the daily operation of two PBS member stations and two NPR member stations in Lubbock, San Angelo and El Paso.
In 2019, Hunton led the strategic merger of TTPM and PBS El Paso, expanding the organization’s audience reach to over 1.7 million people and consolidating resources and infrastructure to build a model rural station for the future.
Hunton is the Vice Chair of Texas PBS and has led various projects and engagement initiatives for the state organization, which is made up of some of the largest market stations in the country. He is also a board member of Vision Maker Media, an organization that empowers and engages Native people by funding and distributing stories by indigenous creators.
“We are thrilled to welcome Paul to the PBS Board. Throughout his impressive career, Paul has worked creatively and strategically to advance the essential mission of public media. His experience and insights will be invaluable as PBS and our member stations evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing media landscape,” said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS.
“This is the honor of a lifetime. I first started working for a PBS station as a master control operator when I was a senior in high school. To sit on the Board as a professional director 20 years later feels surreal. My hope is to represent my colleagues who lead small rural stations across the country and voice the challenges we face as the lifeblood of the system. I can’t wait to listen and learn from my fellow board members and continue the great work that they do every day,” said Hunton.
The 27-person PBS Board includes both Professional Directors, who are station leaders, and General Directors, who serve as lay members of the Board, as well as the PBS President. The PBS Board of Directors is responsible for governing and setting policy for PBS. PBS member stations elect the Professional Directors. The General Directors are elected by the entire Board, as are the PBS President and the Board officers.
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.
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CONTACT:
Eleanor Hawkins, emhawkins@pbs.org