Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
October 29, 2007
Appreciation for William F. Baker
6 in favor, 2 absent
RESOLVED,
That the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Expresses Its Deep Appreciation for the Contributions of
William F. Baker
Public Television Pioneer
President & CEO, Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 1987-2007
Member, PBS Board of Directors
Winner, Six Emmy Awards
The Board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting recognizes the extraordinary contributions of William F. Baker, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that public television reaches its highest educational, entertaining and inspirational potential.
Mr. Baker's service for the last 20 years as president and chief executive officer of the Educational Broadcasting Corporation, licensee of Thirteen/WNET and WLIW, has capped a career spanning more than 40 years in diverse aspects of both commercial and public broadcasting.
Under his leadership, WNET began broadcasting 24 hours per day and expanded its role as a leading producer of public television content, including programs such as Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, Wide Angle, American Visions, Cyberchase, Frontier House, Slavery and the Making of America, and the landmark telecast of Wagner's "Ring" cycle on The Metropolitan Opera Presents.
Educational Broadcasting Corporation raised more than $1 billion during Baker's tenure and secured the largest endowment in public television history, enabling its move into a state-of-the-art production and broadcast facility and to the forefront of the revolution in digital media.
Mr. Baker's career has shown how passionately he believes in television's potential to help its audiences learn, creating the National Teacher Training Institute, the Educational Resources Center, as well as 24-hour educational channels and on-demand program services for children, and making Thirteen the first public television station to air GED en Espanol.
The Board extends many thanks to William F. Baker for being a trailblazer and steadfast advocate for public television, and for his other innumerable contributions to both commercial and public broadcasting over the years.