Condolences

RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, December 11, 2023

unanimously

Resolved,

That the Board of Directors

of the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

 Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences

 to the Family and Friends of

Maria Martin

Pioneering Latina Public Radio Journalist

Creator, Latino USA

We will long remember public radio journalist Maria Emilia Martin, who dedicated her professional life to bringing Latino voices and stories to English-language public radio and helped inspire and launch the careers of a cadre of Latino journalists in the U.S. and Central America.

Maria got her start in 1975 at KBBF in Santa Rosa, Calif., the first Latino-owned community radio station in the U.S. She was an editor on NPR's national show Latin File, then in 1990 became NPR’s first and only Latin American affairs editor on the national desk.

She left NPR in 1993 to create the English-language public radio program Latino USA, which was praised by President Clinton at its official launch on May 5, 1993, at the Public Radio Conference. Latino USA is now the longest running national Latino news and cultural public radio program in the nation.

In 2015, Maria Martin was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame.

The CPB Board of Directors marks Maria Martin’s leadership, vision, and extraordinary service to public media and the American public with deep respect and appreciation and offers our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.

RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, October 16, 2023

7 approved; 1 absent

Resolved,

That the Board of Directors

of the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

 Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences

 to the Family and Friends of

Frank Blythe

Founding Executive Director, Native American Broadcasting Consortium, 1976-2006

We will long remember with gratitude Frank Blythe as a visionary leader who was proud of his Native American heritage and who elevated and shared authentic stories of Native American culture.

Frank (Eastern Band of Cherokee/Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota) was one of six Native Americans on the organizing committee for Native American Public Broadcasting Consortium (NAPBC) and executive director of the organization for its first 30 years.

During his tenure, NAPBC evolved from a library that circulated videotapes and films that public television stations could broadcast locally to an organization that helped create, produce, and distribute films by Native American storytellers. With Frank at the helm, NAPBC launched the CPB-supported $500,000 annual television program fund (now known as Vision Maker Media’s Public Media Fund), for Native producers to produce stories and Native productions. NAPBC also began American Indian Radio on Satellite, which launched The Native Radio Network and Native America Calling as the first daily all-Native live radio talk show, which is still on the air today.

Frank’s legacy is Vision Maker Media, which continues to empower and engage Native peoples to share their stories under the outstanding leadership of Frank’s daughter, Francene Blythe-Lewis.

The CPB Board of Directors marks Frank Blythe’s leadership, vision, and extraordinary service to public media and the American public with deep respect and appreciation and offers our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
June 21, 2023

6 in favor, 2 absent

Resolved,

That the Board of Directors

of the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

 Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences

 to the Family and Friends of

Ron Hull

We will long remember with gratitude Ron’s formative vision and lasting contributions to public media in the United States.

Over a remarkable career that spanned nearly seven decades, Ron was a visionary leader who leaves a lasting legacy in public television -- in Nebraska, across the country, and around the world.

Ron participated in the creation of Nebraska Educational Television in the 1950s. A student of history and supporter of the arts, he brought the work of Mari Sandoz and Nebraska Poet Laureate John Neihardt, two renowned chroniclers of Native American culture and history, to public television. Through NET he also celebrated the work and legacy of writer Willa Cather, known for her novels of life in the Great Plains.

As the second Program Fund director for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Ron initiated the creation of PBS’s signature history series, "American Experience." He secured funding for “NOVA,” programming from New York’s Metropolitan Opera, brought Bill Moyers back to public television, and provided support that enabled Ken Burns to produce his landmark documentary “The Civil War.” Ron also supported the vision and work of the Native American Public Broadcasting Consortium, which became Vision Maker Media, and the other members of what is now known as the National Multicultural Alliance.

His keen intellect and passion for public broadcasting’s mission made him an inspiring leader.

We offer our deepest condolences to Ron’s family, friends, and former colleagues at Nebraska Public Media.

RESOLUTION

PUBLIC SESSION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

6 in favor, 2 absent

Resolved,

That the Board of Directors

of the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences

to the Family, Friends, and Colleagues of

Newton Norman Minow

Visionary. Leader. Friend.

 We will long remember with gratitude Newton Minow, one of public broadcasting’s founding fathers.

As FCC chairman in 1961, Mr. Minow delivered his celebrated speech “Television and the Public Interest,” which described commercial television as a “vast wasteland,” and advocated for programming in the public interest. One of the most influential American speeches of all time, it led to the creation of CPB and the noncommercial, mission-focused public media system that continues to provide high-quality, educational content and fact-based news and information to the American people to this day.

As FCC Chairman, Mr. Minow advanced the passage of the All Channel Receiver Act, ensuring that new television sets would include a tuner to receive UHF channels, the portion of the spectrum to which most educational stations had been assigned. Mr. Minow was also a pioneer in the launch of communications satellites, which led to the global information revolution and the internet age.

An accomplished lawyer, Mr. Minow was devoted to strengthening the institutions of democracy and envisioned television as a medium for education, stimulation, and inspiration. He played a key role in establishing televised presidential debates. He served as board chair for public television station WTTW in his hometown Chicago, as it held its first membership drive and won its first Emmy Award. He later also served as chair of the PBS Board of Governors.

In 1982, CPB awarded Mr. Minow the distinguished public television Ralph Lowell Award for his outstanding individual contributions to public broadcasting. And in 2012, CPB awarded him the CPB Lifetime Achievement Award.

The CPB Board of Directors marks Newton Minow’s leadership, vision, and extraordinary service to public media and the American public with deep respect and appreciation and offers our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

RESOLUTION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

WASHINGTON, D.C.

October 3, 2022

Unanimously

Resolved,

That the Board of Directors

of the

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences

to the Family, Friends, and Colleagues of

Daniel Tone

We will remember with gratitude Daniel Tone’s commitment to public broadcasting and his significant contributions to the establishment of independent public media stations to serve the communities of northern Nevada and California.

Mr. Tone’s professional career at the University of Nevada at Reno (UNR) included working to expand the university’s educational television services and serving as director of UNR’s Office of Educational Communications and Public Broadcast. His vision, advocacy, and collaboration with the university leadership inspired support for the founding of public radio NPR station KUNR, operated by UNR, and later community-owned, public television station PBS Reno. Mr. Tone worked to qualify the public television station for PBS membership, recruit its founding board and executive leadership, secure equipment grants to bring the station on the air, and establish independent station governance.

The CPB Board of Directors marks Mr. Tone’s contributions to public media with deep respect and appreciation and offers our condolences to Mr. Tone’s family, friends, and colleagues.

RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
    BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
    WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tuesday, June 14, 2022

unanimously

 Resolved,

    That the Board of Directors
of the
    Corporation for Public Broadcasting
    Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences
    to the Family and Friends of

    David Liroff

   Senior Vice President, Media Strategy and System Relations,
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 2007-2009

Broadcast Manager, Television station Manager, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer,
WGBH, 1978-2007

We will long remember with gratitude David’s contributions to public media, as a visionary leader in a range of areas including production, strategy and technology.

In his 28-year career at WGBH, David was responsible for both local programming and national productions such as This Old House, The Victory Garden, and The New Yankee Workshop. He launched the GBH Media Library and Archives, which later expanded with the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. He created and managed the Audience Research department and oversaw WGBH’s transition to digital production and broadcasting,

As senior vice president of media strategy and system development at CPB, David was a pioneer in using audience research to make data-driven improvements in programming, and he was passionate about thinking about new ways technology could improve programming.

His keen intellect and passion for public broadcasting’s mission made him an inspiring leader in the industry.

We offer our deepest condolences to David’s family, friends and former colleagues at GBH.

 RESOLUTION
    BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
    WASHINGTON, D.C.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

unanimously

    Resolved,

    That the Board of Directors
    of the
    Corporation for Public Broadcasting
    Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences
    to the Family, Friends, and Colleagues of

    Leanne Kaʻiulani Ferrer

   Award-Winning Producer

Co-creator, Pacific Heartbeat

Program Director, Pacific Islanders in Communications, 2008-2013

Executive Director, Pacific Islanders in communications, 2013-2021

We will long remember with gratitude Leanne’s contributions to public media, as an award-winning producer and as program director and executive director of Pacific Islanders in Communications.

Leanne dedicated her career to creating ways to help public media appreciate and celebrate the richness and beauty of Pacific Islander culture. Her vision, leadership, and tireless work enabled Pacific Islanders to tell their stories through film and advanced the representation of Pacific Islanders and their diverse cultures.

Leanne co-created the series Pacific Heartbeat, the public television anthology series that has expanded understanding of Pacific Islander voyaging cultures and diaspora. She also created two short films that aired on the PBS series Colorvision.

Leanne treated all the people in her life with compassion and understanding.  Her extraordinary work on behalf of Pacific Islanders in Communications, the BIPOC community and to public media will continue to inspire us all.

We offer our deepest condolences to Leanne’s family, friends and colleagues at Pacific Islanders in Communications.

    RESOLUTION
    BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
    WASHINGTON, D.C.

    unanimously

    Resolved,

    That the Board of Directors
    of the
    Corporation for Public Broadcasting
    Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences
    to the Family, Friends, and Colleagues of

    Jim Lehrer

    Journalist and public media champion.

We will long remember with gratitude Jim’s pioneering work in the field of journalism and devotion to public broadcasting. Jim began his more-than-50-year career as a journalist in 1959 when he became a reporter, writer and editor for the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Times-Herald. He became the producer and anchor of “Newsroom” on local public television station KERA in 1970.

In 1973, Jim received a fellowship from CPB and joined PBS as public affairs coordinator. He teamed up with Robert MacNeil to cover the Watergate hearings, and their collaboration would become the award-winning nightly newscast “The Robert MacNeil Report,” which became “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report,” “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” and finally the “PBS NewsHour.”

Over the course of his career, Jim covered the John F. Kennedy assassination, interviewed presidential and vice-presidential candidates beginning in 1976, and moderated 12 nationally televised presidential debates. He and Robert MacNeil were inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999. Jim’s other awards and accomplishments include winning two Emmys, a Peabody Award, the 1999 National Humanities Medal, and CPB’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

In his 36 years at PBS NewsHour, Jim shaped it into a program that continues to be the gold standard for journalistic excellence. Jim remained true to his calling, providing thoughtful and insightful news and analysis to the American public. Through his straight-forward reporting-style, Jim helped public broadcasting earn its reputation as the most trusted institution in America.

As a lifelong storyteller, Jim was also a published author who often used his life experiences as subject matter for two memoirs, over 20 novels and three plays. We remember with fondness his passion for buses and collection of bus memorabilia.

We extend our condolences to Jim’s family, friends and colleagues at “PBS NewsHour,” MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and WETA.

RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Monday, September 23, 2019

unanimously

Resolved,

That the Board of Directors
of the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences
to the Family, Friends, and Colleagues of

Cokie Roberts

NPR Congressional Correspondent, 1978-1988

NPR political commentator, 1988-2019

Edward R. Murrow Award Winner, 1990

Cokie joined the fledgling National Public Radio in 1978 and was a leading voice in shaping the sound and tone of NPR as a place for fair, informative, enlightening civil dialogue. She brought her insightful analysis to PBS as a contributor to the MacNeil/Lehrer Report. 

Even after moving to ABC News, Cokie remained part of the public media family by contributing to NPR as a political commentator for decades. She also served on the advisory board for the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. In 1990, CPB awarded her the Edward R. Murrow Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to public radio.

We will long remember with gratitude Cokie’s years of service in public broadcasting, pioneering work and commitment to civility. We share the sorrow of her family and all ofpublic media at her passing.