FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For information, contact:
Mary Grace Herrington
216.916.6270 | marygrace.herrington@ideastream.org
Nov. 23, 2016 (Cleveland) – The Board of Trustees of ideastream has named Kevin E. Martin to be the next President and CEO of ideastream. He assumes his duties on January 9, 2017 succeeding Jerry Wareham who is retiring. An industry veteran, Martin currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer KQED, the public media organization serving the San Francisco Bay area.
“The pioneering work of ideastream as a multiple media public service organization is nationally known and universally admired,” said Martin, “The foundation that Jerry Wareham and Kit Jensen have built has positioned ideastream to easily adapt to the rapidly changing ways in which NE Ohioans are consuming media. What has been developed in Cleveland is a model being adopted by public media across the county. It is my privilege to join the great team at ideastream and help continue the great work.”
“Kevin’s name is on everyone’s list of potential candidates for leadership roles in public broadcasting and we are very fortunate he has chosen to join us in Cleveland,” said Kevin McMullen, volunteer Chair of the Board of ideastream.
Julie Raskind, volunteer Vice Chair and Secretary of the Board of ideastream, who chaired the Committee charged with the search said “Our Committee was taken with Kevin from the very first interview last summer. At each stage of our thorough process he stood out as a candidate. We are grateful to our search consultant Ann Blinkhorn of Blinkhorn LLC who did a great job for us.”
“KQED is among the leading public media organizations in the country with public television, public radio and pioneering applications of new media for education and public service,” said Kit Jensen, Chief Operating Officer of ideastream who will continue in her role. “I look forward to working with Kevin. His experience at KQED and elsewhere will immediately benefit the work of ideastream.”
Retiring President and CEO Jerry Wareham said “I am thrilled that our great committee of volunteer Trustees were successful in recruiting Kevin Martin as the next President and CEO of ideastream. It will be an honor to work with him during a transition period and to continue to support ideastream in the future.”
A native of Indiana, Martin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Management and Accounting from Purdue University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs at American University. Prior to KQED, Martin spent seven years as the Vice President of Station Grants and Television Station Initiatives at Corporation for Public Broadcasting, (CPB). He began his career in 1990 at the Independent Television Service (ITVS), as their first Director of Finance and Administration, establishing the infrastructure and core business systems for the then-new public media entity. After five years with ITVS, Martin moved on to work as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Twin Cities Public Television (KTCA), where he was instrumental in developing their first for-profit subsidiary. In 1998 Martin joined North Texas Public Broadcasting (KERA), serving as Executive Vice President and COO, and Interim President and CEO.
Martin has served on numerous boards of directors, including the International Public Television’s (INPUT), the Development Exchange Inc. (DEI), and the Public Broadcasting Management Association (PBMA). He served on the ITVS Board of Directors from 1999 to 2004, serving as chairman in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Active in the community, he has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the YMCA of the Central Bay Area, as a National Council Member of Graywolf Press Publishing and has been an active fund raiser for World Bicycle Relief. His interests include arts and culture, economic empowerment and the environment. He and his wife Hansa look forward to moving to Northeastern Ohio.
“Jerry Wareham’s dedication, hard work and commitment to community has helped to create the amazing organization ideastream is today,” said Board Chair Kevin McMullen. “ideastream and our entire community are deeply grateful to him for his creativity and his leadership. We are lucky he and his wife Anne plan to stay in Northeastern Ohio and continue to support ideastream.”
Wareham came to Cleveland in 1993 to succeed Betty Cope who was the founding President and General Manager of WVIZ/PBS. He became President and CEO of ideastream in 2001 when the organization was created through the consolidation of separately incorporated public television and radio stations.
Widely recognized for innovation, ideastream is now the consolidation of eight different educational and public service programs and services that had previously been independently managed, including: WVIZ/PBS, with four channels of television service; 90.3 WCPN, northeastern Ohio’s NPR News Station; WCLV Classical 104.9; The Civic Commons, a multiple media community engagement program; the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau and The Ohio Channel, both managed by ideastream on behalf of public broadcasters in Ohio to provide news and coverage of the events from the capitol; training for educators in the use of technology in education, including (NOTA) North Ohio Technology Association and (SMART) Science and Match Achievement Required for Tomorrow Consortium, both managed by ideastream on behalf of area school systems.
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About ideastream
The mission of ideastream is to strengthen our communities. ideastream pursues this mission as a multiple media public service organization by providing distinctive, thought-provoking programs and services that enlighten, inspire, educate and entertain.