Guide to the Principal Players

Aaron, Chloe: Senior vice president for programming, Public Broadcasting Service, from 1976 to 1980.

Armsey, James W: Administered Ford Foundation's grants to public television from 1957 to 1966.

Baker, William F.: Former commercial television executive who became president of WNET / New York in 1987.

Barrett, Edward W: While dean of Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, he chaired the Advisory Board of PBL , the Public Broadcast Laboratory.

Benjamin, Robert S.: Attorney and chairman of United Artists who chaired the CPB Board of Directors from 1974 to 1977.

Bohen, Frederick M.: Was executive editor of PBL during its second season. Later joined WNET / New York as director of news and public affairs, 1973–74.

Bundy, McGeorge: President of the Ford Foundation from 1966 to 1979.

Case, Everett N.: President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (and former president of Colgate College) who chaired the NET (National Educational Television) board from 1963 to 1969.

Chamberlin, Ward B., Jr.: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting's first executive vice president and the principal architect of PBS. Key figure in the merger of NET and Channel 13 as the executive vice president of WNET / New York. Became executive director of American Playhouse after serving seventeen years (1975–92) as president of WETA / Washington.

Chritensen, Bruce: President of PBS from 1983 to 1993.

Cooney, Joan Ganz: Founding president of the Children's Television Workshop and creator of Sesame Street .

Cousins, Norman: Editor (Saturday Review ) who chaired the board of NET

      at the time of its merger with the New York channel, and later headed the National Programming Council for Public Television.

Curtis, Thomas: Former Republican congressman from Missouri who chaired the CPB board in 1972 until his resignation the following year over differences with the Nixon White House.

Davis, Curtis P.: Played a large role in shaping public television's music and arts programming as a producer and head of cultural programming at NET for thirteen years.

Davis, David: Creator and the first executive director of American Playhouse ; also a key figure in public television's development—first as the station manager of WGBH / Boston during the early decade of its rise, and later as the Ford Foundation's executive in charge of administering its grant's to public television.

Dixon, Don: NET's director of public-affairs programs, and executive producer of its documentaries, from 1965 until its merger with Channel 13 in 1972.

Duggan, Ervin: Former FCC commissioner who became PBS's fourth president in 1993

Flemming, Robben W.: The former president of the University of Michigan who served as president of the CPB from 1979 to 1981.

Fletcher, C. Scott: President of the Ford Foundation's Fund for Adult Education (1951–61) and a key figure in the early development of educational television. He backed the move to reserve the channels, helped to equip most of the earliest stations, and founded the Educational Television and Radio Center to distribute programming nationally. As consultant to the NAEB, he was the catalyst that led to the first Carnegie Commission.

Freedman, Lewis: Award-winning television producer and program executive (Hollywood Television Theater , WNDT / New York, and PBL ). As the first director of CPB's Program Fund, he played an important role in the creation of Frontline, American Playhouse , and Wonderworks .

Friendly, Fred W.: Veteran program producer (See It Now ) and network executive (president of CBS News) who became television adviser to the Ford Foundation's McGeorge Bundy in 1967. He later created at Columbia University the PBS Media and Society Seminars.

Grossman, Lawrence: President of PBS from 1976 to 1983. Resigned to become president of NBC News.

Gunn, Hartford N., Jr.: PBS's first president (1970–76), later vice chairman in charge of long-range planning. For fourteen years the president of WGBH / Boston (1956–70)

Heald, Henry T.: President of the Ford Foundation from 1956 to 1965.

Hennock, Frieda: Led the fight for the reservation of educational channels as the first woman on the Federal Communications Commission.

Hitchcock, Ethan Allen: Attorney and chairman of the board of WNET / New York before and after its merger with NET.

Hudson, Robert: Principal architect of public television's early program planning during the almost twenty years he was an executive with NET and a program consultant to the Fund for Adult Education.

Iselin, John Jay: President of WNET / New York from 1973 to 1987.

Karayn, James: Washington bureau chief of NET before heading the National Public Affairs Center for Television (NPACT) and, later, WHYY / Philadelphia.

Killian, James R., Jr.: President of MIT who led the first Carnegie Commission and later served on the board of CPB.

Kobin, William: For nine years NET's programming vice president before heading the public stations in Minneapolis-St. Paul and, since 1983, KCET / Los Angeles.

Landau, Sonia: CPB board member from 1981 and its chair from 1984 to 1986.

Lawson, Jennifer: Former director of CPB Program Fund. Was programming chief of PBS from 1990 to 1995.

Ledwig, Donald: President of CPB from 1986 to 1993.

Loomis, Henry: Former head of the Voice of America who succeeded Macy as president of CPB in 1972.

Macy, John W, Jr.: The first president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Moore, Richard O.: Former president of KQED / San Francisco and KTCA / Minneapolis-St. Paul and an independent documentary producer.

Morrisett, Lloyd D.: Foundation head (John & Mary Markle) who, with Joan Ganz Cooney, founded the Children's Television Workshop and has chaired its board since 1969.

Newburn, Harry K.: Former president of the University of Oregon who became the first president of NET in 1954.

Pace, Frank, Jr.: Former Secretary of the Army, appointed by Lyndon Johnson to chair the board of CPB in 1969.

Perlmutter, Alvin H.: Former program producer for NET (Great American Dream Machine ) and later head of his own production company.

Pfister, Edward J: President of CPB from 1981 to 1985 after five years as chief executive of KERA / Dallas.

Rice, Jonathan C.: KQED / San Francisco's pioneering program director.

Rockefeller, Sharon Percy: President of WETA / Washington since 1990 and former chair of the CPB board.

Rogers, Ralph: Texas industrialist and chairman of the KERA / Dallas board

who brought about reorganization of PBS and served as its chairman until 1976.

Schwarzwalder, John: Manager of the nation's first public-television station, KUHT / Houston, and later president of KTCA / Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Tate, Sheila: Former press secretary to Nancy Reagan who was elected to head the CPB board in 1992.

Westin, Av: Executive director of PBL during its two seasons on PBS.

White, John F.: President of NET from 1959 to 1969 and former general manager of WQED / Pittsburgh.

Whitehead, Clay T.: Head of the Office of Telecommunications Policy during the Nixon Administration.