Ward Chamberlin, influential founding father of public broadcasting, dies at 95

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

http://current.org/2017/03/ward-cha...ing-father-of-public-broadcasting-dies-at-95/

A founding member of CPB, PBS and NPR

Over the next decades, he served as president of WETA in suburban Washington, D.C., building it from a small station into an important public affairs programming hub.

And as executive vice president, managing director of WNET in New York City, he transformed a financially struggling station into a production center for innovative local shows as well as national science, nature and arts series.

Chamberlin also held executive posts at American Playhouse, POV and PBS, and served on the NPR Board.

“Ward Chamberlin was a fighter, doing battle wherever necessary on behalf of public broadcasting, and his passion energized others,” said Jennifer Lawson, who retired from CPB last May after a long career in the system.

Lawson noted that Chamberlin stepped in to work with Executive Producer Lindsay Law on the drama program American Playhouse “during one of the most challenging phases of this important series’ existence.” He also led American Documentary Inc., the parent company for the documentary series POV, during the culture wars of the 1990s.