wgbh annual report 09|10
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very day, millions of Americans experience WGBH’s distinctive, relevant, and engaging content. And every day, we’re finding new ways to deliver it to them, when and where they choose—through new TV and radio services, innovative websites, and an expanding array of broadband applications. At a time of enormous and rapid change in the media landscape, WGBH is moving forward boldly—with in-depth, independent journalism that empowers citizens. With arts experiences that spur a lifelong appetite for all things cultural. With compelling educational content that galvanizes the way teachers teach and children learn. And with programs and services that speak directly to the interests of our local communities. In the process, we are re-imagining and redefining what it means to be a major public media resource in today’s 24/7 digital world. This past year, we launched two of our most ambitious multimedia projects ever: We Shall Remain from American Experience (page 9) and Latin Music USA (page 5). Both initiatives reached millions of people—on air, online, and in the community—encouraging them to rethink our history through powerful stories and voices rarely heard in mainstream media. And thanks to information- and video-rich WGBH websites, the audience for these seminal projects will continue to grow over time. We also pioneered new services here in New England. WGBH acquired WCRB radio, paving the way for the launch of not one, but two expanded radio services. 99.5 All Classical offers 24 hours a day of inviting and engaging classical music, on radio and online, curated by our knowledgeable hosts. And 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s NPR® Station for News and Culture, now brings eager listeners 15 hours a day of in-depth news and analysis, including two original local series hosted by Greater Boston’s Emily Rooney and Beat the Press panelist Callie Crossley. Look for even more synergies throughout 2010 as we mine the journalistic resources of our most acclaimed signature series and websites—from Frontline to Nova to American Experience.
In 2009, we forged powerful connections with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, collaborating on the launch of a Massachusetts edition of Teachers’ Domain, our online library of multimedia and professional development tools for the nation’s, and the world’s, teachers. Massachusetts Teachers’ Domain (page 8) provides significant curriculum support for the Commonwealth’s educators. We also worked with the Department to develop a new local television series in collaboration with our sister station in Springfield, WGBY: look for High School Quiz Show in spring 2010, on air, on demand, on our World TV channel, and online at wgbh.org. Looking ahead, we’re committed to focusing our creativity and resources on new ideas that move us into the digital future so that curious people everywhere can experience the WGBH content they value—at home, at work, in the classroom, and on the go. This is our mission and our mandate. None of this would be possible without you. We are grateful for the skilled leadership of our dedicated boards, the generosity of our members, funders, and volunteers, and the creativity and commitment of our talented staff. Thank you for joining with us as we press forward with this important work in 2010.
Jonathan C. Abbott president and ceo
Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. chair
FORWARD
O P E N I N G YO U N G M I N D S “ I’ve always wanted to meet an illustrator, but I never imagined it would really happen,” says 12-year-old CONNOR GORDON. This year, the Minnesota boy got his wish. As the winner of the Arthur “All Kids Can” Character Search, Connor met Marc Brown, creator of the Arthur books on which WGBH’s top-rated series is based. The national contest, designed to educate kids about the importance of embracing differences, invited viewers to create a new Arthur character with a disability that might make life different but no less fun. Connor’s brainchild, 10-year-old wheelchair basketball player and budding artist Lydia Fox, was one of 8,500 submissions. Lydia is the perfect ambassador for Arthur’s message of inclusion, says Connor, a longtime series fan. “She doesn’t want anybody to notice her wheelchair. She just wants to be herself.” Winning the contest has been “one of the greatest experiences of my life,” notes Connor. His next dream? To become a professional cartoonist.
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Access Hollywood ALL DREAMS START SOMEWHERE. For the millions of people young and old who turn to WGBH—on television, on radio, online, on their mobile devices, and in the community—we’re the place where many of those dreams take flight. For the child living in a cramped apartment who imagines himself becoming a scientist, a pianist, a writer…or maybe even President of the United States. For a teenage girl with an aptitude for numbers who discovers role models that transform her notion of what women can be, and what she can accomplish. For the person with vision loss who longs to experience firsthand the latest movie or newest Web game alongside his family and friends. For anyone who’s ever envisioned a better self or a brighter future, WGBH opens new worlds and helps expand the notion of what’s possible.
dream Being the Change “ It’s cool to care.” That’s the message thousands of kids are taking away from The Greens, WGBH’s Web-exclusive series that empowers youngsters to do their part to make the planet a cleaner place. And they are. With an average of 76,000 visits to The Greens website each month and 500,000 video views (and counting!), children and their families are thinking globally and acting locally by learning about earth-friendly practices—from composting to conserving energy. Animated adventures, hands-on activities, a blog, and new games on the series’ website—along with a free app for the iPhone and iPod Touch introduced this year—remind kids that you’re never too young to make a difference.
BIG
Ready for Prime Time Everyone knows that practice makes perfect. For a group of young classical music phenoms and for viewers across America, practice also made prime time in 2009. For the first time, a national prime-time audience got a front-row seat to WGBH’s From the Top at Carnegie Hall, the hit television series inspired by the popular radio series From the Top on 99.5 All Classical. A hypnotic turn on the marimba by a 16-year-old Chicago boy and a virtuosic solo by a 12-year-old violinist from Queens showed music aficionados and neophytes alike that dreams do come true. And those star turns aren’t limited to the TV screen. Fans can take this show on the road with video podcasts of all episodes on the From the Top at Carnegie Hall website.
For the more than 20 million Americans with significant vision loss, “dinner and a movie” has new meaning. As part of our longstanding commitment to make media more accessible to those with disabilities, WGBH teamed with Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures to deliver Descriptive Video Service® (DVS) tracks on DVD and Blu-Ray versions of films that included descriptive audio in their theatrical release. Feature films ranging from Julie & Julia to Public Enemies to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs now offer the WGBHpioneered narration technology for at-home or on-the-go viewers. Wrote one DVS user: “Now, I can spend more time watching with my family or even enjoy a movie by myself. Thank you for giving me a choice!”
Better Future by Design What do you give the tween or teen who has smarts, creativity, and a talent for problem solving? How about WGBH’s Engineer Your Life and Design Squad, both aimed at sparking interest in engineering. Through its robust website and community outreach initiative, Engineer Your Life introduces college-bound high school girls to women engineers and shows them that a career in engineering not only is attainable but can be fun and rewarding, too. On TV’s Design Squad, viewers see engineering in action as college-aged contestants race to tackle a wild array of challenges for real-world clients. Nearly 88 percent of girls who have used the Engineer Your Life website say it made them become more interested in engineering as a career, and more than 12,000 fans follow along on Facebook. After watching Design Squad, 75 percent of 4th and 5th graders surveyed expressed interest in attending engineering-related afterschool programs—a triple-fold increase.
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A National Forum Information seekers from coast to coast gained access to even more of the world’s leading authors, scientists, policymakers, historians, and thinkers when WGBH’s Forum Network joined with PBS, NPR, and other public stations across the country to take the online service national in 2009. Users tapped into an ever-expanding selection of video and audio lectures and discussions (some recorded right here in our Brighton studios) on a range of topics—from former US Vice President Al Gore on new approaches to solving the climate crisis to anthropologist Helen Fisher on research that shows love is not blind. The Forum Network also offers captions, speaker profiles, news features, and social networking tools that give the thoughtfully inclined—wherever they are—more of what they want, anytime.
BE MORE LOCAL. MORE INCLUSIVE. MORE INTERACTIVE. That was the call issued to public media in a 2009 report by the blue-ribbon Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. It’s a challenge that speaks to the unique role of public media in building an active and healthy society, and it’s a promise that WGBH is delivering on. Just ask the millions of viewers and listeners who rely on us for content that celebrates community, that embraces diversity, and that encourages all of us to join in the conversation. Or the 200,000 online users who engage with us at wgbh.org each month. Or the 30,000 visitors we’ve welcomed to our Guest Street studios for screenings, discussions, live performances, and tours. Bringing together people and ideas, fueling imaginations—it’s what WGBH does best.
come Staying Local
Online Community Web surfers looking for a place to gather for entertainment, enlightenment, and a feature-rich online experience found it with the launch this year of WGBH’s new website. Now visitors can more easily watch and listen to WGBH programs 24/7, thanks to expanded streaming video and audio offerings. They also can post opinions, share their stories, send content to friends, and simply connect with WGBH and with others who share their public media interests. And they are. Visitors are spending more time exploring the new wgbh.org—staying more than 60 percent longer per visit than they did compared to the same period last year.
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Whether the topic is politics, education, the economy, or the arts, viewers looking for in-depth perspective on the region’s news, and local context behind the national headlines, turn to WGBH’s nightly public affairs program Greater Boston. “Your questions are so often my questions,” wrote one viewer after host Emily Rooney’s exclusive forum with the four Democratic candidates vying for Massachusetts’s open Senate seat. And fans of Greater Boston’s popular weekly media roundtable, Beat the Press, started asking some questions of their own on the series’ new website, which lets visitors pose queries, engage in debate, and even suggest show topics. Those with a flair for the dramatic took Center Stage with Greater Boston’s Jared Bowen to explore the people and events making news around town in theater, art, music, dance, and film. Blog, Facebook, and Twitter updates make it easy for the entire Greater Boston community to stay in touch and in the know.
Just Like Home More than 800 Celtic music supporters got up close with some of their favorite musicians in six Guest Street Sessions hosted by A Celtic Sojourn’s Brian O’Donovan and staged in WGBH’s Fraser Performance Studio in 2009. These new musical get-togethers evoke the casual, relaxed atmosphere of a pub or a friend’s living room. “The synergy of the performers’ fellowship, instruments, and voices was amazing,” remarked one attendee. “What a wonderful way to bring people together!” And the spirit doesn’t end when the music stops: the events are captured for radio broadcast and online listening and viewing. The sessions have proved so popular that WGBH expanded them to include other hosts and genres, from classical music to—coming soon— world music, jazz, theater, and literature.
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TOGETHER
T R A N S C E N D I N G B A R R I E R S “ Latinos have contributed so much to this country, but there’s always been an invisible wall between us and mainstream American culture,” says historian, educator, and Grammy-nominated musician BOBBY SANABRIA. WGBH took aim at that barrier in 2009 with our groundbreaking bilingual, multimedia music-and-history series Latin Music USA. Spanning 50 years, Latin Music USA celebrates American music’s deep Latin roots—from jazz to rock to reggaeton. The series drew 14.7 million viewers, including 16 percent of US Latino households—nearly double the PBS prime-time average. In Brighton, 1,000 people gathered for a premiere dance party at WGBH’s Guest Street studios. Sanabria says the series is a powerful tool for “empowering and educating” both Latinos and non-Latinos. “Growing up in the South Bronx, I turned to public broadcasting to open a window on the world,” he recalls. “I expect that Latin Music USA will do the same for the next generation.”
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C E L E B R AT I N G S C I E N C E “ Here in the heart of Texas, battles over evolution are fought every day,” says Southern Methodist University biology professor JOHN WISE. So, he was particularly delighted to welcome WGBH’s Nova to SMU’s Dallas campus for an evolutionrelated screening and discussion in 2009—the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his seminal On the Origin of Species. The event, which reminded John of “the power Nova brings to science education,” was just one of the ways the series celebrated Darwin in 2009. It also premiered three new evolutionthemed programs and a new website that brings decades of evolution material together in one place to engage audiences even further. Nova remains the most-watched prime-time science series in the United States, the number-one video resource in US high schools, and the most-visited site on pbs.org. Says John, “Nova helps open minds. I’m glad to have it in my classroom—and in my corner.”
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Feeding Hungry Minds “ WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT from television than both bringing the world into your living room and taking you out of your living room into the world?” asked The Boston Globe’s Ed Siegel in a review of Ken Burns’s landmark 2009 series The National Parks. What more indeed? For exploration and amazement, audiences need look no further than WGBH. Grade-schoolers can travel the globe with the click of a mouse. Yard-sale enthusiasts can arm themselves for the hunt with tips from the country’s leading experts. And 21st-century pioneers can venture to the frontiers of science, medicine, and technology without ever leaving their driveways. Everywhere WGBH goes, we bring the joy of discovery to curious minds of all ages. Got questions? We’ll help you find the answers.
Mexico, Morocco, Brazil, Laos, China…armchair adventurers earned new stamps on their virtual passports with the debut of Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth, a culinary journey to the continents’ best—and most far-flung— cooking schools. Along with the fast-paced, globetrotting Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie, this eye-opening newcomer serves up a taste of local traditions and exotic ingredients and examines the intertwining of food and place. “There’s no better way to experience a culture than to stand at the stove with a wonderful cook,” says host Ruth Reichl. Back at home, the exploration continues with online recipes and video podcasts on iTunes that let viewers take their brain food to go.
be AMAZED National Treasure
Kid’s Eye View Kenyan nomads along the Somali border. A snowboarder catching air during practice for the World Cup in London. The world’s largest meatball, tipping the scales in Concord, New Hampshire. These are just a few of the photos and stories from around the world delivered in 2009 by Beeswax, WGBH’s free, online news service for kids 8 to 10. With breathtaking images and Twitter-length captions, Beeswax helps young visitors build a picture of a complex, changing, and awe-inspiring world. Comments poured into PBS’s Facebook page following the site’s launch. “A great discussionstarter,” wrote one parent. Said another, “The heck with the kids—this is a great site for adults, too!”
Antiques Roadshow fans may still be rubbing their eyes in disbelief during a season filled with surprises. First, America’s favorite treasure hunt logged its most valuable find to date: an 18thcentury collection of Chinese jade and celadon appraised at $1.07 million. Then, a new book by executive producer Marsha Bemko, Antiques Roadshow Behind the Scenes, pulled back the veil on PBS’s most-watched series with insider tales, expert tips, and family secrets hidden in the dusty heirlooms that have crossed the appraiser’s table. With demand for free tickets to Roadshow events up 35 percent, it’s clear that the WGBH production’s combination of game show, history lesson, and human drama adds up to one amazing ride—and that never gets old.
Monkey See, Monkey Do Inquisitive little humans get into the swing of science, math, and engineering with America’s favorite little monkey in the WGBH-produced Curious George. In its fourth season, the book-based series and website for pre-schoolers aged 2 to 5 made the leap into health and fitness to teach kids that exercise and nutritious eating not only can help them lead better lives but can be fun and delicious, too. New games on the Curious George website—the most-visited kids’ site on pbs.org—let young explorers take the lessons even further and offer parents tips for extending the discovery into real-world play.
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Creative Incubator Aspiring media makers jumped into the sandbox with the WGBH Lab this year in response to “open calls” tied to WGBH-produced series. Inspired by Nova’s evolution-themed programming, the Lab—now in its seventh year of bringing fresh voices into the public media conversation— challenged the general public, independent filmmakers, and anyone with a creative vision to marry science and art in threeminute “life stories.” The Lab’s first open call exclusively for young people, sparked by Frontline’s climate change documentary Heat, drew pitches from as near as Boston and as far away as Mumbai. Films selected by the Lab and its online community found a worldwide audience on the WGBH Lab website and may one day air on PBS. Next stop: Sundance?
AMERICANS ARE SPENDING more time watching more content—on television, online, and on their mobile devices—than ever before, a recent Nielsen study found. WGBH is helping viewers, listeners, and digital media consumers get the most out of that time with productions that pique their interest, inspire their creativity, and empower them to take action. From building vocabulary to deconstructing kitchen faucets to bringing new ideas into the classroom, adventurous spirits turn to WGBH to get the most they can out of life. Boston seventh-grader Bethany Owens may have described the WGBH effect best. Before competing on WGBH’s Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, she told The Bay State Banner, “It had never occurred to me that I could sign up for something and start doing it.” To Bethany and to explorers everywhere, let WGBH be your guide.
dive
Learning by Doing
Local Teachers’ Aids
Sometimes the best way to master a new trick is to “just do it,” young viewers learn with the help of the canine protagonists of two WGBH-created kids’ series. In its second season, Martha Speaks continued its focus on bolstering oral vocabulary skills in kids 4 to 7. New online games and activities along with a set of series-based books extended the curriculum. Tweeted one mom, “My 3-year-old just told me I get too ‘preoccupied.’ Thank you, Martha Speaks!” Meanwhile, 6- to 10-year-olds dove into science for a fourth season with WGBH’s game showformat series Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. Young adventurers strapped in for a wild ride as contestants learned how to purify space shuttle wastewater at NASA, how to design a better tennis racquet, and how to communicate with SeaWorld’s killer whales. New games on the series’ website keep the experimenting going long after the TV set goes dark.
More than 21,000 Bay State schoolteachers added a powerful new tool to their kit in 2009 when WGBH and our Springfield sister WGBY partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to launch Massachusetts Teachers’ Domain. The multi-year initiative builds on Teachers’ Domain, WGBH’s online media library used by 448,000 educators and others in 188 countries for classroom instruction, and the companion professional development courses. The customized Massachusetts edition aligns content from WGBH productions with state curriculum frameworks to help teachers engage students’ diverse learning styles and reinforce concepts and skills tested in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). Says Lynn biology teacher Banafsheh Salamat, “Massachusetts Teachers’ Domain makes it easier for me to access the media I need to make my lessons a success.”
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IN Rolling Up Their Sleeves
Even self-reliant people need a hand sometimes. That’s always been the idea behind This Old House, which hung out its shingle in 1979 with an aim at demystifying home renovation and cultivating an appreciation for craftsmanship. Thirty years and more than 50 houses later, America’s original reality show continues to empower viewers to improve their own living spaces—from weekend projects to lifelong dreams. In a year that saw the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, the series’ mission of bringing new life to old homes took on special meaning. Among its 2009 projects, This Old House partnered with the City of Boston and a local non-profit developer to rehab a foreclosed two-family in Roxbury— just blocks from the series’ first-ever project in Dorchester.
C A P T U R I N G O U R H I S TO RY “ In the past, our men used to spread news by walking the coastline from New York to Maine,” says COURTNEY LEONARD, a member of Long Island’s Shinnecock Indian Nation. Today, Courtney and 27 other Native filmmakers are sharing their stories with a worldwide audience thanks to a Web-based short film project called Reel Native, launched by WGBH’s American Experience. Reel Native is part of We Shall Remain, a sweeping multimedia initiative that establishes Native history at the core of American history. The series drew more than 14 million TV viewers and has generated 1.5 million website visits since its spring 2009 debut. For Courtney, a ceramic artist whose film centers on the death of a finback whale by Shinnecock Bay, “Reel Native showed me that sharing my personal story can help the wider community.” She says the films are “a powerful reminder that we indigenous people are here and always have been.”
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MINDING THE HOME FRONT
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“ When your child is at war, information is a lifeline,” says AMY KINGERY of Powhatan, Virginia. Amy’s son Thomas recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan’s Helmand province with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. The company’s efforts at armed diplomacy are at the center of Obama’s War, which premiered on WGBH’s Frontline last fall as President Obama reconsidered US strategy in the conflict. Amy calls the report “honest and fair” and “an important piece of the puzzle.” Nearly 300,000 people watched a 24-minute clip of Obama’s War on Frontline’s website prior to broadcast. More than 2.1 million video views of Obama’s War have been streamed—one of nearly 90 Frontline films available for online viewing. Bringing Afghanistan home to American audiences is a critical public service, says Amy. “By showing the reality of this war, Frontline is helping all of us look past the headlines and make informed decisions about where we go from here.”
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Justice for All “ Although OUR INTERESTS AS CITIZENS VARY,” says veteran journalist and public media icon Bill Moyers, “each one is an artery to the heart that pumps life through the body politic, and each is important to the health of democracy.” Whether it’s unraveling the global financial crisis with experts who saw it coming, getting an unvarnished look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with soldiers on the ground, or going into the lab with NASA scientists whose research may spur a new “race to the moon,” engaged citizens of all interests and ages seek out WGBH to deepen their understanding of the events that shape our times. Compelling stories that get people thinking about their place in the world. A forum for diverse voices rarely heard elsewhere. Media that matters. What could be healthier for democracy?
THROUGH This Just In
Citizens of The World
More choices and more voices. News hounds experienced both—and more of the unfiltered reporting, analysis, and discussion they value— with the expanded news service of 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s NPR® Station for News and Culture. Along with international and national stories from WGBH co-productions The World and The Takeaway and signature programs from National Public Radio, listeners are deepening their understanding of local issues with The Emily Rooney Show, hosted by Greater Boston’s Emily Rooney, and The Callie Crossley Show, hosted by Callie Crossley of Basic Black and Beat the Press. “I love your new programming!” wrote a listener in Warren, Rhode Island. Said a fan in Framingham, “Now I can hear more of my favorite programs on 89.7.” Listeners on the Cape and Islands also are staying in the know on everything from the Cape Wind debate to the effect of global warming on commercial fishing with reports from WCAI, WGBH’s Cape and Islands NPR® Station.
In a year that saw increasing violence along the US-Mexico border, post-election protests in Iran, and celebrations across Europe on the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, more than 2.5 million American radio listeners tuned in The World each week for perspective on the events making headlines around the globe. From Baghdad to Bangkok, to Brighton—where former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf sat down for an interview in our Guest Street studios—the WGBH/BBC World Service/PRI co-production delivers news, context, and analysis that help audiences find their way through our fast-changing times. New podcasts on American foreign policy, the global economy, science, music, and more bring The World home to a growing community online.
Is torture ever justified? Can telling the truth be wrong? How much is one human life worth? Everyday philosophers across the nation mulled over some of today’s most vexing ethical dilemmas this year with Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, a co-production of WGBH and Harvard University. The 12-part series opened Harvard’s classroom to the world for the first time by giving broadcast and Web audiences a front-row seat to Professor Michael Sandel’s popular course, “Justice,” which has captivated more than 14,000 undergraduates. “I’m hooked!” wrote one viewer of this multimedia exploration in moral reflection. “We are watching some of our country’s future leaders open their young minds to life and its very difficult choices.”
Delivering Discovery Fascinating scientists. Fresh perspectives. Cutting-edge innovations. Curious minds found all of these and more in the fourth season of WGBH’s Nova ScienceNow. Viewers traveled with host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to the front lines of science, technology, and medicine—from a search for hidden planets to a top-secret diamond “farm.” Web users put the “now” in Nova ScienceNow with online episodes, games, features, and audio and video podcasts available anytime. Enthusiasts in 30 states flocked to Science Café gatherings to chat with celebrated scientists right in their communities. On Facebook, where visits to Nova ScienceNow’s page jumped 800 percent, one fan declared, “Nova ScienceNow gets better every week!”
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Pure Poetry “ To have great poets there must be great audiences too,” wrote Walt Whitman. For a second year, verse, viewer, and Web user came together in Poetry Everywhere, WGBH’s multimedia co-production with David Grubin and The Poetry Foundation. Introduced by public media man of letters Garrison Keillor, these five-minute films sprinkled throughout the broadcast day and available 24/7 online let audiences (including Facebook and Twitter users) hear—and see—the poetry that surrounds us. The serendipity extended to the community, where moviegoers at Brookline’s Coolidge Corner Theatre were greeted with Poetry Everywhere shorts before feature films throughout National Poetry Month in April 2009.
IF ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE, players from Osterville to Ontario made WGBH their ticket in 2009 to experiences that celebrate the artist, philosopher, and poet in each of us. Take the 50 Brighton fourth- and fifth-graders who made a field trip to our Fraser Performance Studio to watch a three-piece baroque music ensemble perform and to learn first- hand how a live broadcast makes it to the air. Or the hundreds of drama lovers who joined us for a roundtable discussion on Boston’s evolving theater scene with the Hub’s newest artistic directors. Or the viewer in Canada who wrote to say that in WGBH’s Masterpiece, “I have found an excitement for television I have not had in years.” From podcasts of conversations with leading cultural thinkers to costume dramas, WGBH helps audiences transcend their everyday lives and reflect on the creativity that surrounds us. That’s entertainment.
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Jazz Standard Whether their taste runs to swing, bebop, or modal jazz, novice listeners and aficionados alike get into the groove each night with 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s NPR® Station for News and Culture. Some hit the books with Boston’s “dean of jazz radio” for his Jazz on WGBH with Eric Jackson artist spotlights and live performances. Others journey through jazz history with Jazz on WGBH with Steve Schwartz and Jazz Decades with Ray Smith. WGBH continues to connect listeners with the rich musical life of our region—as we have for nearly 60 years—by opening our Fraser Performance Studio to established and emerging artists, and through our partnerships with area organizations. Says Jazz Boston executive director Pauline Bilsky, “WGBH’s hosts have a deep appreciation for Boston’s unique jazz scene and an ear for rising talent.”
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Conversation Starter
Truth in Fiction In a year of corporate downsizing, home foreclosures, and tight credit markets, 9.6 million viewers took solace in Masterpiece Classic’s presentation of Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens’s sprawling tale of money, debt, and love set in a London debtors’ prison. The New York Daily News described the centerpiece of Masterpiece’s 2009 Dickens quartet—which took home a record seven Emmys—as “the kind of production television is often accused of having abandoned.” Fans of all ages tuned in for new whodunits from Masterpiece Mystery! and psychodramas from Masterpiece Contemporary. The series’ website, where users can watch full episodes on demand, is the fifth most-searched on pbs.org. Nearly 6,000 devotees follow Masterpiece on Facebook. Wrote one Web user, “I can’t get enough of these shows!”
Since 2007, national audiences have gotten to know America’s foremost Latino artists, writers, activists, and opinion leaders with WGBH’s María Hinojosa: One-on-One. In 2009, the series expanded its focus to better reflect America’s growing diversity by bringing in voices from many cultural backgrounds. Among those sharing stories and perspectives were actor and comedian Cheech Marin, playwright and women’s rights activist Eve Ensler, and our own Nova ScienceNow host, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. “We need more of what María is doing to educate the community,” wrote one viewer. Done: audio and video podcasts along with online streaming of episodes and regular updates on Facebook and Twitter keep the conversation going.
KEEPING CLASSICAL ALIVE “ Classical music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” says Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist WENDY PUTNAM. That’s one of the reasons she values WGBH’s classical music service, for the way it “integrates classical music into everyday living—whether I’m driving, cooking dinner, or playing with my kids.” Hundreds of thousands of classical music lovers around town and across the globe agree. In addition to tuning in WGBH on-air—including weekly broadcasts of the BSO—listeners logged some 4.1 million sessions of our All-Classical stream and more than 2.4 million downloads of our weekly live recordings from the Fraser Performance Studio in 2009. Wendy says WGBH’s passion for classical music and commitment to keeping it alive with the new 99.5 All Classical give WGBH a special place on the local cultural scene. “WGBH makes classical music personal and accessible,” she says. “I can’t imagine Boston without it.”
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F I S C A L U P DAT E : F Y0 9
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iscal prudence, editorial integrity, and public service are WGBH watchwords. Strong community support combined with careful fiscal management enabled
WGBH to successfully balance its operating budget for the 29th consecutive year. In the face of a rapidly changing media environment and the worst recession in 80 years, WGBH’s proactive, dynamic budget review process helped us achieve strategic, though painful, reductions that ensured the preservation of our programs and services. This prudent fiscal approach allowed WGBH to maintain its position as one of the nation’s leading public media organizations—as a major producer of high-quality programs for TV, radio, the Web, and other media; as a provider of media access services for people with vision or hearing impairments; and as an originator of educational technologies for educators and students. Our program services for New England-area audiences were supported primarily by viewers and listeners, regional business sponsors, and a federal Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Program Venture funds garnered from previous capital campaigns augmented major individual contributions to provide bridge funding, enabling WGBH to move forward with the development of new productions for local and national broadcast, as well as our digital channels and services. Our rigorous management of cash made our investment in a new radio service, 99.5 All Classical, possible; funds will be recovered through a short-turnaround capital fundraising campaign. Our national productions for television and the Internet were funded primarily by restricted grants from corporations, foundations, government agencies, and PBS stations. Our media access technologies for people with disabilities were supported by grants from CPB and the US Department of Education, and by the sale of services.
Fiscal Outlook WGBH views FY10 as a time for caution and careful expense management. Our budget reflects a responsible balance between managing expenses to match available revenue and retaining our capacity to meet the demand for new programs, developing technology, and local services. Generous membership support will allow us to continue to provide valuable services to audiences across New England. Grants from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and public broadcasting entities enable us to produce programs and websites for the nation . . . and world. Thanks to all our supporters for your generous contributions.
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Operations: Sources and Uses Sources
FY09
FY081
$135,841,000
$136,258,000
22,920,000
24,710,000
Community Service Grants (CSGs) from Corporation for Public Broadcasting
8,274,000
7,570,000
Royalties, video, and foreign distribution2
11,797,000
20,037,000
4,891,000
5,028,000
19,762,000
19,968,000
3,072,000
11,198,000
Grants and contracts Contributions from individuals
In-kind contributions and donated services Other (including Auction and outside captioning and sales) Net transfers from WGBH program funds for programming and reserves Total Sources
$206,557,000
$224,769,000
$133,549,000
$141,419,000
FY09 Sources of Funding Government agencies 7%
Corporation for Public Broadcasting 8%
PBS 28%
Foundations 5% Individuals 13%
Corporate support 20%
Service revenue 4% Program funds 4% Royalties and license fees 6%
Other 4%
Investments 1%
Operating Expenses Program development and production (includes TV, radio, Web, new media, instructional, and access technologies)
Instructional and interactive 3%
Broadcast (public TV and radio program services)
13,993,000
Educational services and program information
14,083,000
14,166,000
5,054,000
12,060,000
39,864,000
41,911,000
$206,543,000
$224,571,000
$14,000
$198,000
Video and international distribution Support services Total Expenses Excess of operating sources over expenses and transfers
Program development 1% Access technologies 4%
Support services 10%
Home video sales 3%
General audience TV programming 46%
Local TV production and broadcast 11% Children’s TV programming 16%
Undesignated
$7,754,000
$4,733,000
3
92,834,000
100,227,000
Capital campaign, debt service, and Board-designated funds4
179,450,000
188,755,000
56,813,000
63,627,000
$336,851,000
$357,342,000
Endowment (market value) Total Fund Balances
1
FY08 incorporates final audited numbers
2
DVD and international sales transitioned to PBS Distribution in January 2009
3
Radio production and broadcast 6%
15,015,000
Fund Balances Grants for future programming
FY09 Major Activities
FY09 Funding Sources for WGBH’s New England TV and Radio Services Royalties 12% Investment income 5% Local business sponsors 6%
Federal (CSG) 16%
Audience support 48%
In accordance with accounting principles, multi-year grants for production are recognized completely in the year they are received, resulting in significant swings in this balance
4
This includes the net present value of future revenue streams
Other, including program funds 13%
FINANCIAL R EPORT
!5
WGBH: DISTINCTIVE CONTENT . . . Public media powerhouse WGBH serves New England, the nation, and the world with educational content that informs, inspires, and entertains.
W
hether you’re a parent looking for content to help your children grow and learn…a fan of science, history, music and drama, news and public affairs, life and living programs, or WGBH’s other signature strengths…or a teacher seeking flexible classroom resources, WGBH offers plenty to explore.
WGBH’s community ties run deep. We’re a local public broadcaster serving southern New England, with 11 public television services and three public radio services—and productions that reflect the issues and cultural riches of our region. We’re a member station of PBS and an affiliate of both NPR and PRI.
WGBH is a gateway to new ideas on the air, online, and on the go, nurturing your curiosity and helping you expand your world. In today’s fast-changing media landscape, we’re making sure you can find our content when and where you choose: TV, radio, the Web, podcasts and vodcasts, streaming audio and video, iPhone
WGBH is proud to be PBS’s single largest producer of content for television (prime-time and children’s programs) and the Web. Many of your favorite series and sites are produced here in our Boston studios.
apps, groundbreaking teaching tools, and more. Our reach and impact keep growing with the times to meet your evolving needs and interests.
We also are a major supplier of programs heard nationally on public radio and a pioneer in educational multimedia and in media access technologies for people with hearing or vision loss.
WGBH productions reach millions of people every single day. And it all happens thanks to your interest and generous support! …on TV and the Web 2009-2010 WGBH productions America’s Ballroom Challenge America’s Test Kitchen American Experience Antiques Roadshow Ask This Old House Basic Black Beat the Press (weekly edition of Greater Boston) Cook’s Country Eye on Education From the Top at Carnegie Hall Food Trip with Todd English Frontline Frontline/World God in America (production of American Experience and Frontline) Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie Greater Boston High School Quiz Show Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? Latin Music USA Lidia’s Italy María Hinojosa: One-on-One Masterpiece (Classic, Contemporary, Mystery!) Nova Nova ScienceNow Poetry Everywhere Project Dropout
!6
Renewal: Stories from America’s Religious Environmental Movement Roots of Health Simply Ming The New Yankee Workshop The Victory Garden This Emotional Life (production of WGBH Nova Science Unit and Vulcan Productions) This Old House We Shall Remain from American Experience
For children Arthur Between the Lions Curious George Design Squad Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman Martha Speaks Peep and the Big Wide World Postcards from Buster Time Warp Trio (for Discovery Kids)
…in communities Dot Diva Engineer Your Life Time to Invent
…on radio and the Web Classical productions The Bach Hour The Boston Symphony Orchestra BSO on Record Classical Music with Laura Carlo Classical Music with Cathy Fuller Classical Music with Brian McCreath Classical Music with Ray Brown Live from Fraser New Year’s Day from Vienna In Performance Sunday Concert (including Live from Tanglewood) Jazz Eric’s Artist Spotlight Jazz Decades Jazz on WGBH with Eric Jackson Jazz on WGBH with Steve Schwartz Toast of the Nation Celtic, society, and culture A Celtic Sojourn Sound & Spirit News and public affairs The Callie Crossley Show The Emily Rooney Show Greater Boston: Radio Edition The Point (WCAI) The Takeaway (WGBH co-production with WNYC and PRI in partnership with BBC World Service and The New York Times) The World (WGBH co-production in partnership with PRI and BBC World Service)
… exclusively on the Web Basic Black Broadband Forum Network Living with MyType2 One Guest WGBH Lab
For children Beeswax The Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation The Greens Zoom For teachers and students Teachers’ Domain Massachusetts Teachers’ Domain Inside ITEST Making Learning Real Teaching in Community Colleges Teaching Reading, 3-5 Mobile applications 99.5 All Classical (iPhone streaming) A Celtic Sojourn Radio (iPhone streaming) Martha Speaks (iPhone) The Greens (iPhone) Ongoing, major TV-based websites Africans in America Building Big Commanding Heights Evolution Rx for Survival A Science Odyssey
. . . AND CRITICAL ACCLAIM ACCL AIM WGBH productions and services earned nearly 100 awards in 2009, including many of broadcasting’s top honors. This year’s award highlights:
Television George Foster Peabody Awards Depression: Out of the Shadows Nova—Ape Genius Emmy Awards Business and Financial Frontline—The Madoff Affair Creative Arts From the Top at Carnegie Hall (series) From the Top at Carnegie Hall (multiplecamera editing) Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie (singlecamera editing) Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (art direction) Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (casting) Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (cinematography) Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (costumes) Daytime Between the Lions (pre-school series) Between the Lions (writing) News and Documentary Frontline—Bush’s War (continuing news story, long form) Frontline—The War (cinematography) Nova—A Walk to Beautiful (informational program, long form)
Boston Private Industry Council Achiever Award Project Dropout British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (BAFTA) Masterpiece Mystery!—Wallander (best drama series) Christopher Award Masterpiece—Cranford Cine Golden Eagle Award American Experience—The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer Antiques Roadshow Arthur From the Top at Carnegie Hall Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie Nova—Doctors’ Diaries; Ocean Animal Emergency; Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives; Secrets of the Parthenon; Space Shuttle Disaster Nova ScienceNow—Saving Hubble The Truth About Cancer Edward R. Murrow Distinguished Award in Journalism Frontline—Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story Freddie Award for Communications Nova—Doctors’ Diaries Gabriel Award From the Top at Carnegie Hall—Rhythm & Strings Gold Camera Award Between the Lions Imagen Award American Experience—A Class Apart
Primetime Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (miniseries) Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (writing) Masterpiece—Little Dorrit (directing)
International Documentary Association Award We Shall Remain from American Experience—Wounded Knee
New England Greater Boston—Light Paintings WGBH Lab—Bi-Racial Hair
iParenting Media Awards Design Squad Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman Martha Speaks
AAAS Kavili Science Journalism Awards Nova ScienceNow—Diamond Factory Nova ScienceNow—The Last Extinction American Federation of Television and Radio Artists American Scene Award We Shall Remain from American Experience American Institute of Physics Nova ScienceNow—Asteroid (science writing) Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Community Award María Hinojosa (host, One-on-One)
Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame Emily Rooney (host, Greater Boston) Newport Beach Film Festival Humanitarian Vision Award American Experience—Earth Days Newton Preservation Award This Old House New York Festivals Television Broadcasting Awards Antiques Roadshow Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie The Truth About Cancer Overseas Press Club Whitman Bassow Award Frontline—Heat
Parents’ Choice Awards Arthur Between the Lions Design Squad Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman Martha Speaks
Outreach
Pine Manor College Student Influencer Award Project Dropout
Association for Women in Communications Clarion Award Martha Speaks—Reading Buddies Program/Big Buddies Guide
Silver Circle Lifetime Achievement Award Emily Rooney (host, Greater Boston) Television with a Conscience Award Masterpiece—God on Trial Telly Awards Antiques Roadshow (bronze) Food Trip with Todd English (bronze, cinematography) From the Top at Carnegie Hall (silver, children’s) From the Top at Carnegie Hall (silver, education) From the Top at Carnegie Hall (bronze, sound) Simply Ming (bronze, lighting) The Population Institute Global Media Award American Experience—Earth Days US International Film & Video Festival Award Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman (certificate of creative excellence) Western Writers of America Spur Award American Experience—Kit Carson WorldFest Houston Awards Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman (2 awards) Writers Guild of America Awards Frontline—Bush’s War Nova—Secrets of the Parthenon
Radio Dart Award The World—Rape as a Weapon of War
Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) We Shall Remain from American Experience: An Event Kit for Libraries The Ruff Guide to Science
My Source Community Impact Awards for Education WGBH WGBY
Web Cine Golden Eagle Award Teachers’ Domain—Dengue Virus Visualization Teachers’ Domain—Poetry Everywhere Collection Teachers’ Domain—Polar Sciences Collection Davey Awards The Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation The Greens International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences Webby Awards Frontline/World—iWitness (news and politics) Frontline/World—iWitness (people’s voice award) Frontline/World—Kenya: Sweet Home Obama (best documentary) International Academy of the Visual Arts W3 Awards Martha Speaks (2 awards) Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman Project Dropout (2 awards) The Greens Parents’ Choice Award Teachers’ Domain—Inspiring Middle School Literacy: Reading and Writing in Science and History
Edward R. Murrow Distinguished Achievement Award in Journalism WCAI—Fresh Water, Salt Water Massachusetts AP Award WCAI—The Point Overseas Press Club Lowell Thomas Award The World—How Wars End Public Radio News Director Association WCAI—The Point (best talk show) WCAI—Cicadas (best use of sound)
WG B H TODAY
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WG B H L E A D E R S H I P We are grateful to the following leadership committees and boards for their generous communityspirited commitment to advancing WGBH’s educational mission.
Jane Alpers
Ralph Lowell Society Committee
Mike Armini
Denneen & Company
Vicki Amalfitano
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Dan Antonellis
Suffolk Construction
Zamawa Arenas ARGUS
Geneva S. Thorndike Chair
Helene R. Cahners-Kaplan Honorary Chair
Kathleen Ames Edye Baker Jeffrey P. Beale Terrie Bloom Emily Brown Samuel Cabot III Mary L. Cornille Lynn Bay Dayton John J. Doyle, Jr. Sheila S. Evans Janet B. Fitzgibbons Morris Gray Dianne L. Gregg William C.S. Hicks Edna Kaplan Polly Wroe Knowles Marilyn Kucharski William A. Lowell Carolyn A. Lynch Oscar F. Malcolm Harry Moraitis Caroline Mortimer Harriet Nezer Jane M. Pappalardo Melinda A. Rabb Gloria Rose Kathleen B. Sherbrooke Richard N. Silverman Cynthia L. Strauss Wat Tyler Patrick Tynan* Simone S. Winston Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. Susan B. Kaplan Ex-Officio
WGBH Corporate Executive Council Sheryl L. Traylor
Northeastern University
Christine Armstrong Smith Barney
M. Carol Brennan
Woburn Foreign Motors
Drayton Martin
Mullen Advertising
Terence McCourt
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Eileen McIntyre
Cubist Pharmaceuticals
Mark McKenna
Aimee O’Brien-Jeyarajan
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Audrey O’Connell
Darrell C. Byers
Barbara Calautti
Deloitte & Touche USA LLP
Ray Ciccolo
Village Automotive Group
Andrea Cohen HouseWorks
Claire B. Comstock Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.
Charlie Curtis
Welch & Forbes LLC
Michelle Davis
Putnam Investments
American Student Assistance
WGBH Nova Science Visiting Council
Trader Joe’s
Norman R. Augustine
John F. Reilly MFS Investment Management
Dusty Rhodes
Conventures, Inc.
Roger Sametz
Sametz Blackstone Associates
George Schwartz
Greg Gatlin
Suffolk University
Mike Grandinetti
Southboro Capital
Jon Gworek
Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, PC
Elizabeth Hailer
Douglas Carlston
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Francisco D’Souza
Emerge PR
Linda Swain Jones Lang LaSalle
Jesse Thompson
Bunker Hill Community College
Alicia Verity
Bank of America
Jane Wolfson
New England Aquarium
Mark Young
Foley Hoag LLP
Caturano & Company
Jennifer Harrington
WGBH Community Advisory Board
Toyota of Watertown
Dorothy Chen-Courtin
Jerry Heller
LandVest, Inc.
Andy Horvitz
Horvitz Communications
Sally D. Jackson
Jackson & Company Dover Rug & Home Harvard Business School
Sandra T. King
Bentley University
Katherine Klingler John Hancock
Retired Founder and CEO, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Chairman and CEO, Tawala Systems President and CEO, Cognizant Technology Solutions
Harriet Edelman
I.T. Advisor, New York Private Bank & Trust Director, Brinker International and Ariba, Inc.
David H. Koch
Executive Vice President, Koch Industries
Carolyn A. Lynch
President, The Lynch Foundation
Michael C. Ruettgers
Hatch
Craig Heinonen
Vice Chair, WGBH Educational Foundation Director, Becton, Dickinson and Co.
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and Atrius Health
Marci Sindell
Mara Stefan
Tufts Health Plan
Henry Becton, Jr.
Joshua Boger, PhD
ADB Marketing Communications
Rob Egan
Retired Chairman and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
Steven Singer
Adrienne Davis-Brody
Curtis W. Henderson, Jr. David S. Kingsbury Janet S. Lin Josephine McNeil Charles R. Merzbacher Deirdre B. Phillips Charlene Rideout Taylor Q. Rielly Mark L. Robbins Peter P. Roby Amy Mah Sangiolo Lisa Simmons William H. Smith Meghan T. Sweeney Mary V.L. Wright
Mittcom
Children’s Hospital Boston
Brian Kenny
*deceased
The Castle Group, Inc.
George Martell
Wells Fargo Advisors
Eric Burt
Francine Achbar
Lighthouse Electrical Contracting
Sandy Lish
Bruce Mittman
Mahmud S. Jafri
Herb Aikens
Comcast Sportsnet
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Chair DentaQuest New Center for Arts and Culture
Nancy Larkin
Co-Chair
Susan Y. Friedman Co-Chair
Susan M. Atkins Kelly Blackburn M. Laurie Cammisa Russell Contreras Helen Credle Anne D. Emerson Judy Gelfand Lillian Gonzalez Abraham Gutman Deborah Heller
Retired Chairman, EMC Board of Directors
Marshall Turner
Former Chairman and CEO, Dupont Photomasks, Inc.
Dr. Charles M. Vest
President, National Academy of Engineering
WGBH Overseers Advisory Board Joseph F. Azrack 6 Edye Baker Hope Lincoln Baker Molly G. Bond Leigh Bonilla Braude
Judith A. Brodkin Blair Brown 7 David Chamberlain Lawrence H. Coburn Mary L. Cornille Robert E. Cowden III Martha H.W. Crowninshield F. Davis Dassori Sheila S. Evans Janet B. Fitzgibbons 9 Dean W. Freed Ruthanne Fuller 8 Arthur Golden Kathleen M. Graveline Morris Gray Stephen A. Greyser 7 Jon L. Hagler 6 William M. Haney III 8 Daphne Hatsopoulos Catherine E.C. Henn 8 Arthur Hindman J. Atwood Ives 8, 10 Patricia Ives Ronald J. Jackson 2, 7 Elizabeth B. Johnson Peter Karoff 9, 10 John Kucharski Philip L. Ladd Robert A. Lawrence Deborah Smith Leighton Anne R. Lovett Peter S. Lynch 2 R.T. Paine Metcalf E. Bradley Meyer 8 Rodger P. Nordblom Jane M. Pappalardo H. Bradlee Perry 1 Slocumb Hollis Perry 7,9 Beth K. Pfeiffer 8 Daniel Pierce 2 Melinda A. Rabb 2 John R. Regier 2 Harvey Rosenthal 1,7 Helen Chin Schlichte Ann Schwarz Kathleen B. Sherbrooke Richard A. Soden Helen B. Spaulding May Takayanagi Ann Tenenbaum 2 W. Nicholas Thorndike 2 Patrick Tynan 2 * Rosamond B. Vaule Joan Wallace-Benjamin, PhD Jennifer M. Walske 8 Leverett L. Wing Nicholas T. Zervas, MD
WGBH Board of Overseers Susan B. Kaplan 4,9,10 Chair
Robert E. Gallery 1,4 Vice Chair
Officers of the WGBH Educational Foundation Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. Chair
Henry Becton, Jr.
John J. Alam, MD 2 Maureen Alphonse-Charles 9,10 Howard Anderson 8 George Berbeco 2,8 James L. Bildner Peter D. Blacklow 8 Emily Brown 2,9 Joseph P. Campanelli Bernard K. Chiu Thomas J. DeVesto 8,11 Thomas Devlin 7 Stephanie Dodson 10 Christine Dunn 7,10 Joseph F. Fallon Ruth Ellen Fitch 10 Carol Fulp 7,10 Jennifer Herman William C.S. Hicks 8,9 Roy A. Hunt III 7 Susan Hunter 7 Mahmud S. Jafri 10 W. Garth Janes 2 Paula A. Johnson, MD Stephen P. Kaufman 8 Omar H. Khudari 2,8 Ranch C. Kimball Sandra King 7,9 Nancy G. Klavans Edward H. Ladd 7 Rebecca A. Lee 2 Howard A. Levine 2 Stephanie B. Liakos 7 Gary Loveman Michael A. McCay 7 Chester R. Messer II 8,10 Jennifer L. Miller 2,4,7,9 Jane E. Owens 7,10 Robert I. Owens Roderick Randall 4,7,8,9 Doug Rauch 4,7 Lynne L. Rickabaugh 9,10 Jeffrey Shames Mally Skok Susan P. Stickells 4,6,10 Frank P. Talarico Belinda Termeer Laurie Thomsen 8 William N. Thorndike, Jr. 8,10 Miriam Gillitt Winer 8 Simone Winston Hans P. Ziegler 5 Geneva S. Thorndike Ex-Officio
Vice Chair
M Howard Jacobson Vice Chair
Jonathan C. Abbott President and CEO
David Bernstein
Vice President and General Manager, WGBH Enterprises Co-President, PBS Distribution
Melinda Braithwaite Vice President for Human Resources
Eric A. Brass
Corporate Counsel and Associate Clerk
Margaret Drain
Vice President for National Programming
Benjamin Godley
Executive Vice President
Jeanne M. Hopkins
Vice President for Communications and Government Relations
Joseph M. Igoe
Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Susan L. Kantrowitz
Vice President and General Counsel
Winifred Lenihan
Vice President for Development
Vinay Mehra
Vice President for Finance and Administration, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
Lance W. Ozier
Vice President for Planning and Policy, and Clerk
Jamie Parker
Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Russell J. Peotter
Vice President and General Manager, WGBY, Springfield
Marita Rivero
Vice President and General Manager for Radio and Television
Brigid W. Sullivan
Vice President for Children’s, Educational and Interactive Programming
Suzanne Zellner
Vice President for Corporate Sponsorship
*deceased, 1/10/10
WGBH Board of Trustees Jonathan C. Abbott 1,6,8,12,13 President and CEO, WGBH Educational Foundation
Henry Becton, Jr. 2,5,6,8,12,13
Vice Chair, WGBH Board of Trustees
Kim Bottomly 3
President, Wellesley College
Richard M. Burnes, Jr.
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Museum of Science Co-founder and Partner Emeritus, Charles River Ventures
Lynn Bay Dayton 4 Laura A. DeBonis 7,8 Linda Dunlavy
Executive Director, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Juan Enriquez 5
Managing Director, Excel Venture Management
Silvia Gosnell 2,5,11,12,13
Clinical Instructor in Psychology/Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Richard Grubman 6,11,12,13 Senior Managing Director, Highfields Capital Management
Ann L. Gund Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. 1,3,5,6,12,13 Chairman, Pilot House Associates
M Howard Jacobson 1,2,5,6,8,11,12,13 Vice Chair, WGBH Board of Trustees
Jackie Jenkins-Scott 1,13
President, Wheelock College
Susan B. Kaplan 4,9,10
Chair, WGBH Board of Overseers
Oscar F. Malcolm 1 Counterparty Research Analyst, Fidelity Management & Research Company
Christopher J. McKown
7,8,11,13
Trustees Emeriti and Emeritae Edith L. Dabney 2,7,8 Chair Emerita
Co-Founder and Director, Health Dialog Services Corporation
John Lowell
Legal and Administrative Counsel, Amherst College
David B. Arnold, Jr. Enid L. Beal Derek C. Bok Helene R. Cahners-Kaplan George Y. Cha 6 Peggy Charren 2 Frances H. Colburn 2 Nader Darehshori Nelson Darling, Jr. Neal F. Finnegan 2 Richard C. Garrison Paul E. Gray Gale R. Guild William J. Holmes, Jr. Anna Faith Jones Maurice N. Katz Marilyn T. Keane 7 David C. Knapp Laurence Lesser Pamela A. Mason, EdD 2 Richard Milstein J. Donald Monan, SJ David G. Mugar Mary S. Newman Lawrence T. Perera Robert A. Radloff 4,5,6,7,11,13 Kenneth G. Ryder John Silber Alan J. Strassman 4,5,11 Samuel O. Thier, MD Charles M. Vest Augustus A. White III, MD, PhD 2
Paul R. Murphy 1,5,11,12
Lia G. Poorvu 2 William F. Pounds 3,4,12
Professor and Dean Emeritus, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
John F. Reno 3,5
Retired Chairman, President, and CEO, Dynatech Corporation
Maureen Ruettgers 3,12 Robert Sachs 3,8,11,12
Principal and Founder, Continental Consulting Group
David T. Ting 5,11,12
President, Mugar Enterprises, Inc.
Sidney Topol 8
President, The Topol Group, LLC
Jack M. Wilson
President, University of Massachusetts
Tony Woodcock 2
President, New England Conservatory
Chair Emeritus
George Putnam 1,3,6 Chair Emeritus
Marjie B. Kargman 4,7 David H. Koch 8 Executive Vice President, Koch Industries, Inc.
Renée M. Landers 1,12,13
Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Health and Biomedical Law Concentration, Suffolk University Law School
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Edward H. Linde 5,11 *
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Boston Symphony Orchestra CEO, Boston Properties, Inc.
William A. Lowell 1,6,8,11,13
Partner, Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP Administrator, Lowell Institute
Committees 1 Audit 2 Commercial Policies 3 Compensation 4 Development Steering 5 Finance 6 Investment 7 Marketing and Communications 8 New Business and Technologies 9 Overseers Mentoring 10 Overseers Nominating 11 Radio Working Group 12 Trustee Executive 13 Trustee Nominating Joint Trustee/Overseer Committee
PHOTO CREDITS Front cover Top row: Jim K. Georges 2004; ©WGBH/Anthony Tieuli; ©Jennifer Trenchard; Tanit Sakakini for WGBH; ©Andrey Prokhorov. Row 2: ©BBC for Masterpiece; courtesy of From the Top; ©BBC 2008/Mike Hogan for Masterpiece; ©Michael J. Lutch, courtesy of Boston Symphony Orchestra. Row 3: ©2006 Chris Cassidy; courtesy of NASA/STSci; courtesy of NASA. Row 4: Tracy Powell for WGBH; Jay Paul for WGBH; courtesy of Marshall Photography; ©SMU 2009/photo by Hillsman S. Jackson. Row 5: Curious George TM & 2009 Universal Studios and/or HMCo. All Rights Reserved; ©WGBH; ©WGBH/Marc Brown; TM/© 2008 WGBH Educational Foundation. TM/© “Martha” and underlying Martha books artwork: Susan Meddaugh. Page 1 ©Eric Roth. Page 2 Courtesy of Marshall Photography. Page 3 ©WGBH/ courtesy of Bill Shribman; ©WGBH/Stefan Cohen; ©WGBH/Emily Pratt. Page 4 ©WGBH. Page 5 ©WGBH/Lisa Abitbol. Page 6 ©SMU 2009/photo by Hillsman S. Jackson. Page 7 Karel Prinsloo, AP Images; Jeff Dunn for WGBH; Curious George TM & © 2008 Universal Studios and/or HMCo. All Rights Reserved. Page 8 ©WGBH; Tracy Powell. Page 9 Tracy Powell for WGBH. Page 10 Jay Paul for WGBH. Page 11 ©WGBH/Anthony Tieuli; Catherine Murphy for PRI/The World; ©WGBH/Anthony Tieuli; Chris Cassidy, photographer/John Callahan, illustrator. Page 12 ©WGBH/Anthony Tieuli; ©BBC 2008/Mike Hogan for Masterpiece; Tanit Sakakini. Page 13 Tracy Powell for WGBH. Page 18 ©WGBH/Lisa Abitbol. Page 19 ©WGBH/Lisa Abitbol. Page 23 Ann Petruccelli. Page 24 Joanna Rothman for WGBH. Page 25 ©WGBH/Lisa Abitbol. Page 26 WGBH. Page 28 Stacy Kasdin for WGBH; ©WGBH/Mark Ostow. Back cover Top row: ©B. Charlo/Kalispel Nation; ©Larry Gus; Library of Congress; Seaver Center for Western History Research; Marian Albright Schenck. Row 2: Tracy Powell for WGBH; ©WGBH/Lisa Abitbol. Row 3: ©Emily Sterne/MEW; ©Andy Ryan; Anthony Tieuli. Row 4: ©WGBH/Anthony Tieuli; ©WGBH/Sirius Thinking.
C R E AT E D A N D P R O D U C E D AT W G B H B O S T O N Project Manager Susan Reed
WGBH Constituent Communications
Writer Tina Vaz
Director Cynthia Broner
Designers Alison Kennedy, Danielle Pierce Print Production Lenore Lanier Gibson Photo Researcher Michael Delia Lists Coordinator Kathleen McCarthy Printer Smith Print, Norwell, MA ©2010 WGBH Educational Foundation 1010020
WGBH Design Associate Creative Director Alison Kennedy
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