Jeff Tucker was appointed GM for Idaho Public Television.
Tucker succeeds Ron Pisaneschi, who retired from the station this summer.
Idaho’s Board of Education unanimously approved Tucker’s appointment during a meeting Aug. 26, according to a news release.
Tucker, who most recently held the role of interim GM and director of content, first worked for the station in 1983 when he was a senior in high school. He later spent time at commercial stations before returning to Idaho Public Television, where he has also been a videographer, producer, director and production manager.
Board of Education President Kurt Liebich praised Tucker’s work for the station during the Aug. 26 board meeting, according to the Idaho Press-Tribune. “I think the work you all have done was just amazing and really helped during the pandemic,” he told Tucker. “A lot of your programming specific to Idaho is just terrific. You’ve got big shoes to fill, Ron did just an amazing job, but knowing you, you’re up to the task.”
“Public television was and still is the best, most centered and trusted media that we have in the United States,” Tucker said in the release. “I am convinced that in today’s media landscape, full of angry voices and sometimes outright lies, this is the time and place for public television to shine.”