NEPM COO & General Manager Anthony V. Hayes Named to the Board of America’s Public Television Stations

America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people.

“We congratulate Anthony on his election to the board of America’s Public Television Stations,” said APTS president and CEO Patrick Butler. “We are honored to welcome Anthony to the board, and look forward to his leadership and strategic guidance in furthering public television’s missions of education, public safety and civic leadership.”

As General Manager of WGBY, Hayes played an instrumental role in joining his TV operations with New England Public Radio to create New England Public Media in 2019. Based in Springfield, Massachusetts, NEPM serves as a trusted public media voice across the western New England region. The new partnership has created an integrated, innovative organization that provides audiences with a broad array of locally-produced programs and educational resources across all media — TV, radio, online and mobile.

Through his leadership at WGBY and now NEPM, Hayes guides the strategic direction of the organization and all of its internal operations, functions and policies, always with a focus on diversity and inclusion. He’s been actively engaged in the community as an ambassador for the mission of public media with civic leaders, national elected officials, and businesses, gaining support for NEPM to continually advance its services for audiences.

Before joining WGBY, Hayes served as Senior Vice President for Engagement at Connecticut Public in Hartford, which includes CPTV and WNPR, where he guided fundraising and sponsorship initiatives to develop new strategic opportunities and growth. Prior to that he was at WAMU-FM, American University Radio, where he oversaw the sponsorship sales division and designed and implemented integrated fundraising, communications and outreach strategies, locally and nationally, that increased stakeholder engagement. Earlier in his career he was with WETA, public TV and radio in Arlington, VA, where he managed corporate marketing and developed non-traditional revenue initiatives.

A native of Queens, New York, Hayes holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Master of Arts in Media Entrepreneurship from American University.

“It is my sincere privilege to join the other APTS Board members and APTS leadership, along with my station colleagues, in the critical efforts to highlight our value, and advance the funding and recognition for the work we all do on behalf of our communities and audiences,” said Hayes.

In addition to Hayes, APTS announced the following appointments to its board: Andrew Russell, President and CEO of PBS SoCal and KCET in Los Angeles, California, has been elected Chair; Susi Elkins, Director of Broadcasting and General Manager of WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, has been elected Professional Vice Chair; and David Steward II, Immediate Past Board Chair of Nine PBS in St. Louis, Missouri, has been elected Lay Vice Chair.

Re-elected to the APTS Board of Trustees are W. Craig Fugate, At-Large Trustee in Gainesville, Florida; Jeffrey Gilbert, Board Chair of New Hampshire PBS; Mimi Chapin Gregory, Lay Trustee of WGCU in Fort Myers, Florida; and Edward Ulman, President and CEO of Alaska Public Media (AKPM).

Eric Easter, Lay Trustee of WHUT in Washington, D.C. joins Hayes as a newly elected board member.

NEPM brings quality public television programs to audiences across western New England, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs, to hear diverse viewpoints, and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS KIDS helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. NEPM’s locally produced television programming includes the magazine-format public affairs show Connecting Point, the bilingual series Presencia, and the academic quiz show As Schools Match Wits. NEPM is available over the air on digital channel 57-1 and on cable throughout western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut and can be seen in high definition in western Massachusetts at Comcast 857, Time Warner 1221, Spectrum 782, and over the air on channel 57. Where to Watch

New England Public Media’s radio presence provides an essential and trusted voice for the region through local reporting and locally-produced music programming, and by connecting the region to the world through its partnership with NPR and other national and international public media organizations. Its flagship signal, 88.5FM WFCR, and 5 repeating stations in Berkshire County, presents news, jazz, and classical music, while the six stations of the NEPM News Network provide the region with news, talk, and cultural programming 24/7.