- [Narrator] Funding for this program was provided by- - [Narrator] Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, dedicated to helping you celebrate your life or the life of a loved one for over 85 years.

Chattanooga Funeral Home believes that each funeral should be as unique and memorable as the life being honored.

- [Narrator] This program is also made possible by support from viewers like you.

Thank you!

(upbeat music playing) - [Alison] On the season premier of "The A List," I talk with a woman who has made a big impact in the world of public broadcasting.

- And you have an idea of what you think is going to make you happy or what is going to be the right path for you, and oftentimes it is not necessarily how it ends up and I'm a big believer in it's all about the journey.

It's all about the journey, paying attention to everything that's around you, taking those experiences, continuing to learn from them, and then paying back and helping others come up behind and help them to see their own opportunities and their own path.

- [Alison] Join me as I talk with president and CEO of PBS, Paula Kerger, coming up next on "The A List."

(upbeat music continues) If you've enjoyed watching PBS over the last 15 years then you have felt the tremendous impact that Paula Kerger has had on this beloved institution.

Paula is the longest serving president and CEO in PBS history.

Her tenure has been marked by some major moments for PBS programming.

Don't worry, we'll get to "Downton Abbey" as well as the emphasis she's placed on PBS's critical relationship with local stations like WTCI.

Under her leadership, PBS has grown its audiences and made its mark on the digital world all while remaining true to its core mission and the reasons we all trust and cherish public television.

Well Paula, welcome to "The A List."

- Thank you, it's a pleasure to be with you Alison.

- So this is obviously something we've never done before, two things we've never done before.

One is interviewing you, which is quite an honor and privilege, and second is doing this sort of Zoom interview for "The A List."

So we get a twofer today.

- Well that's what these times offer up, right?

New opportunities, and you haven't lived until you've done a Zoom interview, right?

(laughter) - Exactly, exactly.

So you are not only the chief honcho, right?

And the president and CEO of PBS, but the longest serving president and CEO of PBS.

- I'm as surprised as anyone that I've been doing this as long as I have.

When I took this job literally 15 years ago, I thought this would be an important thing to do for, you know, a period of time, and then I thought, I didn't have any clear notion.

This has actually been the story of my life.

I've never had a clear notion of anything I'm doing any step of the way, but I thought I would do something different.

But I've stuck and I've been in this job longer than any job and I've been in this job longer than anyone that preceded me.

I think in part, because the work is so interesting and just continues to change, you know?

Nothing has changed, I think, as fast as the media landscape, particularly in the last, you know, 10 years, and to be a part of that, and to be a part of that in public television it's just been an extraordinary experience.

So as long as I feel that I'm contributing something and as long as my board and the stations feel like I'm adding something to it, I'm really just overjoyed to be leading this organization.

- Well, and we're overjoyed to have you as our leader.

And before we get into what you were alluding to, which is the ever-changing technologies and the system and how PBS has adapted, especially during your tenure over the past 15 years.

Let's go back a little bit, let's start at the beginning.

Tell me a little bit about your upbringing.

- Sure.

I grew up outside of Baltimore in a area that was, at that time, still largely rural, and I grew up actually living next to my grandparents, which is an important note because my grandfather was both a scientist and an artist.

These were the two things that really drove him.

And so his expertise was actually in microwave technology.

He taught physics at the local college and started a public radio station as a way of creating a real world opportunity for his students.

And so he was interested in the technology side as well as in the storytelling, and he was probably the biggest influence in my life.

Now I never thought that that would lead to a job in public media, but he worked on television mostly.

It was just, you know, a coincidence that he started a public radio station.

But I grew up in a home where giving back was really important.

I went to college thinking that I was going to be a doctor, I failed organic chemistry, which I always tell kids, because kids think if you make one mistake in your life then you're sort of done.

I failed organic chemistry and I thought, well, I'm not going to be a doctor and I took a lot of humanities classes because I was interested and then panicked I would never leave home and be gainfully employed.

So I actually got a degree in business.

So all my electives were hard earned in the hard sciences and in array of arts classes, and my first job out of college was working for a nonprofit organization, I worked for UNICEF, and that brought me to New York, where I always wanted to live.

I worked at another organization that dealt with international issues.

From there, had an opportunity to work at The Metropolitan Opera, not as a singer (laughs), but I raised money for them.

And in that honorable profession of raising money, I was hired into public television now 28 years ago to actually raise money for a station in New York, and I did that, you know, reasonably well and I was promoted up.

I became the station manager and the chief operating officer, and I was in that job when I was tapped to come to Washington to run PBS.

- I'm laughing because listening to your history, especially your academic history, I thought I was going to be a clinical psychiatrist until I got a C minus in intro to psych- - Yeah.

- And then changed to English major, and so here we are across the table from each other.

- And kids need to hear that, kids need to understand that.

Again because I think so many people and I speak a lot on college campuses and I've been privileged to do a number of commencement speeches, people think that, you know, you plan your life out or that everyone else has it figured out.

Believe me, more people are like you and me, and you know, you just kind of figure it out as you go and you have an idea of what you think is going to make you happy or what is going to be the right path for you and oftentimes it is not necessarily how it ends up, and I'm a big believer in it's all about the journey.

It's all about the journey, paying attention to everything that's around you, taking those experiences, continuing to learn from them, and then paying back and helping others come up behind and help them to see their own opportunities and their own path.

(triumphant music) - Paula's path may have been marked by twists and turns but it's clear that she's found her home at PBS.

Over the last 15 years, she's guided PBS through some big changes like the launch of the PBS Kids 24/7 channel.

She's also been responsible for key decision making behind some of the most iconic programming in PBS history from Ken Burns's "The Vietnam War" to Daniel Tiger's "Neighborhood" and of course, my favorite.

I know "Downton Abbey" happened under your watch.

Did it surprise you at all that a PBS show would not be so popular, right, there are plenty of examples of popular PBS programming, that's a lot of Ps, but what about the fact that it has become so mainstream and so ingrained like some many other shows in pop culture?

- Yeah.

I mean, the degree of success was perhaps a little bit of a surprise I mean, it premiered in the UK and it did really really well, and that was in the fall and we waited for it to come here and we were cautiously optimistic.

There were a lot of people that watched a masterpiece you know, every Sunday.

So we knew that it would have a big audience but the fact that it became such a pop phenomenon as you've just described it, was really a bit of a surprise, and, you know, that happens and it's happened throughout, you know, PBS history.

And, you know, we're watched by a lot of people.

I mean, I don't know when people think of PBS and they think about our audiences, I mean, we're the sixth most watched of all broadcast and cable channels, and so a lot of people watch and particularly on Sunday nights, but for something, you know that you're successful when you become mocked or parodied, I should say, you know, by organizations like "Saturday Night Live" and late night shows and so forth, and so, you know, the memes and the way that social media had exploded at the time, there were people that were creating Twitter names out of character names.

My favorite was somebody that was using the Twitter name Lady Mary's eyebrows.

I don't even know what that means, but anyway, so, I mean, it was just fun.

I mean it, and I honestly believe that those moments will come to us again and again.

But I mean, look at Julia Child, Julia child is omnipresent.

Fred Rogers, you know, who's having this amazing resurgence right now through the films and the documentaries and everything else.

So, you know, I think it's definitely been a part of PBS so.

- I am still sort of amazed and in awe of the fact that even the national stations or the national programs, rather, when they air on the local channels, they still feel very familial, right?

- Oh yeah.

- Like I remember my mom saying forever, I grew up in Birmingham and when Mr. Rogers first came on she had no idea he was out of Pittsburgh, right?

- Right.

- She thought this was a local guy bringing local programming, and the reality was everybody felt that way about him and all of the PBS programming.

How important is it that as national and epic as you get in the programming that people watching at home still have this feeling that it's from their local station?

- Well it is because it's all made possible by the local stations.

You know, I think people don't always understand what PBS is.

It is an association of 330 local stations from around the country that was formed by those stations with the idea that if stations all came together, we could afford to do the range of programs that you enjoy on public television.

So it's very different than any kind of media organization.

You think of the networks, it's very top down.

This is very much bottom up.

Our programming largely comes from our stations.

Now some of the programming comes from some of our bigger stations that routinely produce.

The biggest producer is obviously WGBH in Boston, which produces series like "Masterpiece" and "NOVA" and "FRONTLINE" and so forth.

My old station in New York produced great performances in "American Masters."

The Washington station produces "The NewsHour" and brings us both Skip Gates and Ken burns.

So all of this comes up through stations, and I think that it is, you know, look, television is a very intimate medium.

People watch television either with their families or with small groups or one-on-one.

Televisions are oftentimes in living rooms or kitchens or sometimes bedrooms, and you have this very intimate experience looking into a screen, and I think that part of why people assumed, that your mother assumed that Fred Rogers was in Birmingham is because the people that are on public television, I think, oftentimes feel very accessible.

They feel not like Hollywood stars or people that you would find in New York, but they feel like of a community, of a country, and that's, I think, one of the strengths of public broadcasting is that we work really hard to really shine a light on all of America and really to help people see themselves and their own experiences reflected through.

(upbeat music playing) - It is that sort of accessibility and relatability that sets PBS apart, and Paula has made it a priority over her tenure to steward the trust viewers have in PBS even through monumental changes to the media landscape.

So since you have been there, right, at PBS, at this PBS, I should say, a lot has changed and maybe not with the PBS mission, right?

It's always going to be educate, inspire, entertain, but with technology and the access points, I mean, when we think about 15 years ago, right, that iPhones weren't around- - Right.

- And that the iPad didn't exist and now when you look at how people are consuming their media, that's the majority of it.

What have you seen besides those obvious technological innovations as sort of the most critical evolutions that have enhanced the PBS audience's viewing?

- Yeah.

So when I gave my first speech after I'd become president of PBS, I talked about the fact that Apple through iTunes was selling episodes of "Desperate Housewives" for $1.99 and it sounded like such a strange idea, and of course now this idea of streaming video, on-demand video, being able to curate your own viewing experiences is actually how a lot of people watch what we formerly referred to as watching television, right?

So I think that in the span of, and as you said, you know, no iPhones, you know, even the social media platforms did not exist.

And so, you know, so much has changed.

What we've tried to do is to understand where our viewers are and where they would hope to see our content and try to meet them there.

And as we think about all of this looking forward, it's important to really pay attention to where people are spending their time and making sure that we have content available there, but also really paying attention to that thing that you said at the front end of your question, which is not only looking at the evolution of the media landscape, but what are those values and aspects of the work you're doing that need to stay sacrosanct?

Where are those guard rails that you don't want to cross over?

And for us, it's in the area of content.

We want to make sure that the content, you know, again, whether it's a short form video piece or it's a 20-hour opus from Ken Burns still feels like it comes out of that same DNA, and so not taking short cuts with programming just because it'll be popular, but really making sure that we understand what is an authentic part of the PBS story and making sure that those are the programs that we continue to produce.

And that is as much of a challenge, frankly, in this environment as just making sure that you stay true to yourself and true to your mission as well as really exploring all these different platforms.

- So how critical or important is the relationship with PBS to Ken Burns?

- Oh, you know, look, Ken Burns really helped to redefine what we think of as documentary film, you know?

There's the Ken Burns effect through Apple, you know?

So he is extraordinary in the work that he has created over the years.

I mean, you look at the library, the contribution that he's made, he's helped to call attention to documentary film.

There's a handful of people I think that have done that, and he certainly is one.

And he, and this is probably not as well known about him is that he lives and works in the same town that he's been in since he graduated from college and he has mentored a whole generation of filmmakers that are now coming into their own, that come and work alongside of him.

So, I mean, he's had an outsized influence on, not just on PBS, but I would say on media in general.

- So when someone like Ken Burns says that you are the greatest chief executive PBS has ever had- (laughter) - You just set me up there.

- How special is that?

I kind of set you up there, yeah.

- You did.

- But, and I know, I know, look, I know you don't do it for the accolades but we have to go ahead and also mention, right, like you're constantly named in the top 100 women in media, right?

Like from "The Hollywood Reporter" to "Forbes," like people not only notice you, they are praising you for what you have done and for the role you play, not just at PBS, but serving as a significant role model for women especially in the media.

How important is that role for you?

- Well, you know, I don't think about it a lot.

You know, I do think that for all of us, we owe it to the people that come up behind.

I remember when I was starting out and one, I couldn't figure out what I was going to do with my life, but I mean, I really, I could have benefited, I think, from more mentorship and help.

I started to focus on that when I was quite young, I was fortunate to work with some people that were really very generous with me and helped me to understand and pointed me in some good directions, and I've tried to do that for people coming up behind me.

In fact, even when I talked to kids that are just starting out, I said, you know, it's not too early to start because there's always someone right behind you who's still trying to figure out the things you've just figured out.

And so we owe it to each other to try to help people find their own path.

And, you know, the things that I am the absolute proudest of is some of the people that have worked with me and that have now gone on to do other things.

I have a very good colleague who worked very closely with me at PBS, who just a few years ago took a job running our station in Richmond, Virginia, and that's one of the great joys of these last years, is seeing her in this role and really just succeeding wildly, and that's what life is about.

It's appreciating the opportunity that we can have impact on one another, we can support one another.

(upbeat music playing) - Paula continues to serve as a model for those coming up behind her and her leadership style has placed an emphasis on empowering those around her.

It is that kind of leadership that is more crucial now than ever as the turmoil of 2020 shined a spotlight on the role of media in bringing us connection during a time of isolation and division.

Well, when we look back, especially at 2020 and probably most of 2021 at this point, it's impossible to frame anything without COVID surrounding it, right?

Like especially, even this interview, right?

We talked even before we started filming that we would have never even thought about using this as an opportunity to connect- - Right.

- Even if we were not going to be physically in the same space or city.

What are some of those efficiencies or learning opportunities or lessons or blessings even, right, that you're going to take from what has been a pretty traumatic experience on a global level that will help fuel PBS in the future?

- Yeah.

So I mean, this has been a pretty horrible year.

We have been in telework for a year now, almost exactly, it was March of last year, and, you know, the toll of this year I think is yet to be fully realized.

I think that, you know, now that we're beginning to see the end of the tunnel, you know, I think the reality of the fact of what we've been coping with for such a long time is really starting to become apparent.

But on the other hand it has challenged us to be much more nimble, much more entrepreneurial, to forget this idea of we can't and really replace it with how can we?

And so the idea that I would be talking to you through my computer camera and by backup, I'm taping this interview on my cell phone.

I mean, it's crazy.

I have taped broadcast spots, broadcast spots for PBS on my cell phone, which as I was telling you before we started, literally stuffed into a Kleenex box to serve as a tripod, and you know what?

It works.

And you know what?

It looks pretty good.

And so I think that people, you know, look I think people perhaps will tire of seeing the, you know, the Zoom faces, but I think that maybe that's not something we want to continue to do as a broadcast effort moving forward.

But I think this idea that things have to be done a certain way is something that we put aside, and that's what we shouldn't lose.

This idea that, you know, we can be much more progressive in the way that we think of possibilities and not just tied in by, "Well, we've always done it this way, we always need to be in a studio with cameras with a ton of, you know, professional makeup and so forth."

Yeah, I mean, there's a time and place for that but I think there's also a time and an opportunity to do something different.

I think even with these Zoom meetings and, you know, look, we all read the articles about Zoom fatigue and how tired people are going from one meeting to another, but you know what?

We're also looking at each other in our homes and we see dogs walk by or children walk by and you get a very different glimpse of people when you see them in a different environment.

That's not necessarily a bad thing either.

And so I think what we will come into following this COVID period is going to be very different, and I think if we learn from what has been offered up over this last year, or as you point out, probably will be more like a year and a half, I think we will advance.

I hope we don't go back to "Well we always have done it this way and that's how we have to do it moving forward."

I think hoping to really have us open our mind to different possibilities has been the most important piece of this.

- Well, I mean, it's so fitting that you say that because of course, for both of us, PBS was always that access to a world that we always knew was full of possibilities and even if- - Right.

- We couldn't feel it and be there in person, we knew it was there for the taking.

So thank you for letting us enter your small little world and your personal space today and for being with us on "The A List."

- Oh, thank you Alison, this was really fun.

Thank you for doing it.

(upbeat music playing) - [Narrator] Get on-demand access to even more of the shows you love with WTCI Passport, an exclusive benefit for members of WTCI PBS.

Watch your favorite shows in Passport on the PBS Video App.

Download it today.

- [Narrator] Funding for this program was provided by- - [Narrator] Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, dedicated to helping you celebrate your life or the life of a loved one for over 85 years.

Chattanooga Funeral Home believes that each funeral should be as unique and memorable as the life being honored.

- [Narrator] This program is also made possible by support from viewers like you.

Thank you!