NASHVILLE, Tennessee (TN Tribune)– Becky Magura has been named President and CEO of Nashville Public Television. Magura will begin her duties at NPT on Sept. 8. NPT reaches 2.4 million people in the Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky viewing area. The station is located in one of the most dynamic and growing regions in the nation.
Magura is currently President and CEO of WCTE Central Tennessee PBS in Cookeville, Tenn, and is one of public media’s most respected and well known general managers. She has received numerous national and state awards for her leadership. Magura has played a pivotal role in fostering lifelong learning and the use of public media for K-12 education. During this past year when the pandemic resulted in an acute need for at-home learning, she successfully served as the liaison for the Tennessee PBS At Home Learning Collaborative in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and all six Tennessee public television stations.
“We are excited that Becky Magura will be heading up our team at NPT,” said Jeff Gregg, NPT Board Chairman and Chair of the Selection Committee. “She has boundless energy and vision. We have been impressed with the deep partnerships she has developed in our state and with public media system leaders across the country. After an extensive national search, we are delighted to identify our next leader from a community just 80 miles away,” Gregg added.
Magura began her career at WCTE more than 39 years ago. In that time, she has held numerous production, educational outreach and management positions at the station. She served for six years on the national PBS Board of Directors, including serving on the PBS Executive Committee and as Chair of the PBS Interconnection Committee. Magura’s other national board service includes APTS: Association for Public Television Stations Board, NETA: National Telecommunications Association Executive Board and Small Station Association Executive Board. She has just been elected to the American Public Television Board of Trustees. Locally, Magura serves on the Tennessee Technological University Alumni Board, and she recently completed service on the Cookeville/Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Board.
“With my roots in Tennessee, I am thrilled to be joining NPT in Nashville. During this incredible time for public media, I look forward to working with the NPT board and staff to identify additional ways for our Tennessee public media stations to work together and to work with many strategic partners,” said Magura.
NETA Consulting assisted NPT in conducting the national search for a new CEO. “NPT is an important resource for the community, and we were pleased to work with a committed and engaged board selection committee, “said Skip Hinton, managing partner, NETA Consulting. “We are confident Becky Magura will build on NPT’s success and take it to new heights,” he added.
About Becky Magura
Becky Magura has more than 39 years of experience in production, educational outreach and management in public media. As president and CEO of WCTE, Central TN PBS, Magura brings a level of commitment and strategic direction necessary for success to all projects. A native Tennessean, Magura has extensive service on numerous regional & national boards. Magura has received numerous awards, including a Nashville / Mid-South Regional Emmy, Tennessee Governor’s Award for Excellence in Early Foundations, the Cumberland Business Journal’s Ovation Award for Community Service and was recently named as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
She holds BS and MA degrees in Education, with an emphasis in Communications, from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. She has 39+ years of experience in television production as an on-air host, producer, and videographer. In her tenure at WCTE, Magura led the station team through great change, including the digital transition in transmission and production as well as a station relocation to downtown Cookeville and the development of a joint broadcast master control with Lite Wire Media Management.
Magura served six years on the national PBS Board of Directors, including the PBS Executive Board and as Chair of the PBS Interconnection Committee. Other national board service includes APTS: Association for Public Television Stations Board, NETA: National Telecommunications Association Executive Board and Small Station Association Executive Board. She has just been elected to the American Public Television Board of Trustees. Locally, Magura currently serves on the Tennessee Technological University Alumni Board and recently completed service on the Cookeville/Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Board.
Magura believes strongly in supporting independent producers and collaborative station productions such as Live Green Tennessee. She is currently working with multiple independent producers on projects for national distribution such as Bluegrass Underground, Barnegie Hall, Songwriting with Soldiers, Havana Time Machine, Ray Stevens’ Cabaret Nashville, Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s, Food Roots: Philippines and Ear to the Common Ground.
Committed to lifelong learning and the use of public media for K-12 education, Magura has successfully served as the liaison for the Tennessee PBS At Home Learning Collaborative in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and all six Tennessee Public Television Stations.
PBS recently named WCTE PBS CEO Becky Magura and PBS SoCal/KCET Vice President of Membership Maura Daly Phinney as the recipients of the 2021 C. Scott Elliott Development Professional of the Year Award.
In July of 2021, the Nashville Public Television (NPT) Board of Directors appointed Magura president and CEO of NPT. She begins in September 2021
