ARLINGTON, VA, August 1, 2007- Katherine Lauderdale, PBS Senior Vice President and General Counsel, announced today that Andrew Givens has been appointed PBS' Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs. Mr. Givens most recently served as Special Counsel, Government Affairs at the law firm of Covington and Burling. He began his tenure on July 9 and reports to Ms. Lauderdale.
As part of his new role, Mr. Givens will lead PBS's government affairs and regulatory efforts, including the development and implementation of strategic initiatives; counsel PBS senior executives on these issues; collaborate with other broadcast organizations, including the other national public broadcasting entities and serve as the principal staff liaison to a policy oversight committee of the Board of Directors.
"Broadcasters are facing increasingly complex legislative and regulatory issues," said Ms. Lauderdale. "Andy is an exceptional lawyer and legal strategist; we are fortunate to have someone with his skills and experience take on this key position."
"I have long been an admirer of PBS' outstanding programming and educational services," said Mr. Givens. "I am extremely pleased to join the team here and become part of the vital work that PBS, local stations and other public broadcasting organizations do each and every day to enhance the lives of all Americans."
While at Covington and Burling, Mr. Givens provided procedural and legislative advice to a wide range of clients and designed strategies for effective interaction with many branches and agencies of the federal government. He has also worked extensively on the Senate Appropriations Committee, holding positions as the General Counsel and as the Minority Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Givens also worked on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Affairs. He is a member of both the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania Bars.
Mr. Givens received his J.D. from University of Virginia Law School and also holds a M.P.A. from Princeton University and a B.A. from Harvard.
About PBS
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches more than 75 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (www.pbskids.org), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
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CONTACT: Jennifer Daddura, 703/739-5223, jedaddura@pbs.org