ARLINGTON, VA; May 19, 2025 — Today, PBS announced that Shae Hopkins was honored with the Dan Miller Station Leadership Award to celebrate nearly four decades of service in public media. This award recognizes managers in the public media system whose leadership, vision, courage, and commitment to the mission of public media have inspired their colleagues and created a lasting impact in their communities.
PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger presented the award to Hopkins at the organization’s annual gathering of member stations.
“You are an inspiration to us all: constantly building bridges and inviting people in to be part of our mission,” said Kerger. “PBS proudly honors her lifelong service, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to the advancement of public media.”
With 39 years of impressive service at KET, Hopkins has been at the helm of the public broadcasting network as executive director and CEO for 15 years. Hopkins has spearheaded the expansion of local production and services. She steered the development of a wide range of educational content and services for PBS LearningMedia, as well as the nationally utilized GED preparation learning system FastForward, and other workforce resources.
Throughout her tenure at KET, Hopkins has overseen several technical and facilities milestones, including the network’s digital transition for HD production and distribution systems, completing one of the largest spectrum repacking projects in the nation, establishing production studios in the Kentucky Capitol and on Main Street in Louisville, providing 3.0 broadcast service in the Louisville and Northern Kentucky markets, localizing emergency alerting for the state, converting the technical infrastructure of the Network Center in Lexington for NexGen TV and creating the new Louisville Production Center.
Under her leadership, programs and services at KET have grown to more than two million viewers and users each week. The network has been recognized with more than 46 national and 31 state awards, 132 regional Emmy nominations and 37 Emmy awards, and several other awards.
Other previous honorees include Executive Director of Arkansas Educational Television Network Allen Weatherly (2017), Wisconsin Public Media Director Malcolm Brett (2018), President and Chief Executive Officer of Nine Network of Public Media Jack Galmiche (2019), Jim Pagliarini, Twin Cities Public Television former President and Chief Executive Officer (2020), Tom Axtell, Vegas PBS General Manager (2021), and Don Boswell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buffalo Toronto Public Media (2021), Beth Courtney, CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting (2022), former PBS President and CEO, Bruce Christensen (2023), and Molly Philips, former general manager of Iowa PBS (2024).
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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 36 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube, and 60 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s 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 LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, 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 X.