Courtney Pledger
The head of the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) has been named to the national Public Broadcasting Network (PBS) board of directors.
Courtney Pledger was elected, along with four other individuals, as a professional director for the PBS board. Pledger will serve a three-year term.
“I am hugely honored to be able to represent AETN and my fellow PBS member stations by serving on the PBS Board of Directors,” Pledger said in a statement. “I look forward to joining the national conversation and to helping shape the future of public media in our country.”
As a professional director for the PBS board, Pledger will help establishing policy for and governing PBS. There are two types of directors who sit on the board: general and professional. The professional directors, like Pledger, are all leaders for public television systems, while the general directors are not public media executives.
“As PBS navigates a complex media environment, it is critical that we have the guidance and counsel of leaders from across the nation who have expertise in a broad range of fields,” said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS. “We are fortunate to have such an experienced and talented group of board members who are committed to advancing the essential mission of public television.”
Pledger has served as executive director for AETN since 2017, succeeding former AETN head Allen Weatherly.
She previously was the executive director for the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute/Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival.
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