On Tuesday, the Public Broadcasting Atlanta Board of Directors announced long-time cable executive and veteran Atlanta business community leader Jennifer Dorian will become the organization’s next president and chief executive officer.
Dorian arrives at PBA after holding various roles at Turner Broadcasting and Warner Media over a 20-year span. She most recently served as general manager of Turner Classic Movies.
She will lead both WABE, Atlanta’s award-winning NPR station, and ATL PBA, the city’s PBS station, beginning in January.
On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Dorian joined host Rose Scott, virtually, to discuss the changing news media landscape and Dorian’s approach to diversity and inclusion.
“My personal philosophy is diverse perspectives are to be appreciated and embraced,” Dorian said, adding she has completed training for unconscious bias and believes public media needs to address a lack of diversity within the industry.
Dorian also shared her goals for PBA as a whole.
“WABE and ATL PBA have a unique position. We are the only stations for NPR and PBS that are dedicated to Atlanta…We need to tell the stories of this dedicated community,” she said. “I think there are many corporations that are interested in helping defend and support free press.”
She said she wanted to create “containers for support” from corporations, major donors, and foundations to support coverage and conferences on community issues such as global health.
Dorian also expressed a commitment to listeners and the Atlanta community as a whole.
“I think what I would want the community to know as I enter this job is I am very motivated to help defend the free press and local news, but I am also very motivated to double down on Atlanta,” she said. “Spend the next, you know, 10 or 20 years of my energy on making our community a stronger place.”
Dorian succeeds former CEO Wonya Lucas, who led PBA for five years. Lucas recently departed for the same position at Crown Media Family Networks.
According to a press release, the Public Broadcasting Atlanta Board’s search committee, in coordination with an outside consulting firm, reached close to 300 candidates during the application process.
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.
