Rick Schneider, president of WPBT in Miami, will take over as executive vice president and chief operating officer at WETA in September, the Arlington, Va., station announced today.
Schneider
Schneider will step into the position being vacated by longtime WETA exec Joe Bruns, who announced his retirement in April.
WETA President Sharon Rockefeller said in the announcement, “I have worked alongside him in public broadcasting’s national organizations, and I know firsthand that Rick’s strong management experience is matched by his true dedication to public media. He brings with him superb knowledge of the national public broadcasting landscape and the complexities of managing a major-market station, and he shares our profound commitment to public service.”
Schneider will report to Rockefeller. He will supervise all senior managers as well as oversee WETA’s financial and administrative operations, local television and radio operations, fundraising, engineering and technical operations, communications, information technology, educational enterprises, and community and government relations.
He has led WPBT for nine years. Previously, he was president and general manager of KNPB-TV in Reno, Nev., and station manager at WUFT-TV, the University of Florida’s public station in Gainesville. Schneider has served two terms on the PBS Board, including as vice chair. He is also chair-elect of the Public Television Major Market Group and a past chair on the boards of Florida Public Broadcasting and the Pacific Mountain Network.
Ron Bornstein of NETA Consulting conducted the national search.
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