Tammy Robinson, a former VP and director of programming for the WNET Group in New York, died Oct. 7. She was 77.
WNET announced Robinson’s death in a Facebook post Oct. 9. Nancy Neubauer, former communications director for America’s Public Television Stations, told Current that Robinson had removed herself from dialysis before she died.
“It’s very sad to lose her,” said Neubauer, who met Robinson in 1973 when they worked at CPB. “She was a wonderful person, and she was so smart, and she was totally dedicated to public television.”
Beth Hoppe, a former director for WNET and chief programming executive for PBS, said in a comment on the Facebook post that Robinson was a “force of nature” and “a formidable leader.” Katherine Schultheis, managing director of local corporate sponsorships for WNET, said on Facebook that Robinson “supported women in the workplace” and that “her leadership was an inspiration.”
Robinson’s public media career began at PBS in the early 1970s when she worked for Sam Holt, who established PBS’ National Program Service. Her titles included assistant coordinator of programming for program operations and later director of member stations, according to a 1973 issue of Broadcasting & Cable.
Mattie Hardy, a colleague of Robinson’s at PBS, said in an interview that Robinson “loved life” and “loved learning new things.”
“I think that’s why a lot of producers and programmers liked her so much,” she said. “She was a person who was open to new ideas.”
After leaving PBS, Robinson worked for CPB before joining the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1978, she joined WNET as manager of program planning. She held that role for three years before she left the station to join CBS Cable, which went out of business in 1982. In 1983, Robinson joined WETA in Washington, D.C., becoming director of arts and cultural programs and later SVP.
At WETA, Robinson began expanding her relationships with young, independent filmmakers, including Ken Burns, who co-produced The Civil War series with WETA during Robinson’s tenure. “Tammy Robinson was a huge part of my life as I started out as a filmmaker,” Burns said in a statement to Current. “I don’t know where I’d be today without her help and friendship. She was a keen advocate for public television and understood more than most that education and entertainment were not opposite sides of a coin—but when produced well, one and the same. She’ll be greatly missed.”
Robinson returned to WNET in 1995 as VP of national programming, overseeing series such as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters and Cyberchase. In 1996, former WNET President William Baker told the New York Times that the station brought in Robinson for the role because “we felt our relationship with the independent community was not as strong as it should be, and she had a reputation as being the best there is.”
Robinson told the Times that independent filmmakers felt WNET “was not friendly to their ideas,” adding that “some felt that [the station] was arrogant, didn’t return their phone calls, didn’t treat their projects carefully.” Another issue was that projects were handled by a committee, and the station lacked a central voice greenlighting films. Robinson provided that stability until leaving WNET in 2008.
In 2004, Robinson began her tenure on the board of American Documentary, which produces POV. She chaired the board for a time and ended her service in 2017.
Robinson received several career-related honors, including the International TV Programs Award, a New York Festival Award for The Power of the Past with Bill Moyers, a Film Council of Greater Columbus Award for In Performance at the White House, a Primetime Emmy Award for Smithsonian World: Tales of the Human Dawn, and the Catalyst Award for Broadcasting from the National Association of Minority Media Executives.
Tamara E. Robinson was born June 3, 1947, in Philadelphia. She later graduated from Temple University.
Neubauer said Robinson was family-oriented and cared for her mother and sister as they dealt with health issues before death. Neubauer said her friend was a “wonderful storyteller, especially in these last years. We could spend hours on the phone.”
Jennifer Lawson, a former chief programmer for PBS and an SVP for CPB, said Robinson was “so impressive to me. She was incredibly smart, very funny and very warm and friendly.” Lawson also said Robinson was “a real advocate for talented people,” whether or not they were famous as filmmakers.
In a 2005 interview with The Independent, a magazine for filmmakers, Robinson acknowledged challenges public media would face in the media ecosystem.
“We’re more vulnerable than ever to the vicissitudes of the economy,” she said. “Funding is a full-time effort. We’re also working hard every day to take advantage of the latest technologies the market has to offer.”
She said she also wanted to combat the idea that “public television is stodgy, old fashioned, hard to watch, not timely, not relevant, has no humor and is for women over 55. The reality could not be more different. Our viewers reflect our programs—they’re interesting, they’re curious, they’re diverse.”