ARLINGTON, VA; September 19, 2016 – Today, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger announced that Katherine Lauderdale has been named PBS Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. A 14-year veteran of PBS’ leadership team who previously served at member station WTTW in Chicago, Lauderdale manages the Office of the General Counsel, which includes several key departments within the mission-driven enterprise.
“Katherine’s leadership has been integral to PBS’ success, guiding our organization through a period of significant evolution and growth with the highest standards of ethics and integrity,” said Kerger. “She is an outstanding lawyer, a tireless advocate for our member stations and our system as a whole, and a trusted advisor to our board of directors. When PBS and local stations are called the most trusted institution in the country, it is a reflection of Katherine’s work and the efforts of the outstanding team she has built.”
As Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Lauderdale leads the Legal department and the Corporate Secretary’s Office, as well as the Government Affairs, and Standards & Practices departments. The Legal department is responsible for providing a wide range of services with respect to intellectual property, litigation, regulatory, labor, corporate and other legal matters, including the drafting of content agreements for PBS-acquired programming. The Corporate Secretary’s Office assists the Board and CEO in the management of board affairs by creating and maintaining official board records and providing governance counsel. Government Affairs provides guidance to senior management on government affairs issues and strategy, and manages the company’s relationships on the Hill and at federal agencies. Standards & Practices is responsible for overseeing compliance with FCC underwriting and indecency regulations; administering PBS sponsorship policies; and advising senior management on editorial standards designed to preserve the integrity of PBS content services.
Prior to joining PBS in June 2002, Lauderdale was Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, and General Counsel at WTTW in Chicago, where she served in various legal, business and business affairs capacities. She is a graduate of New York University Law School and began her legal career as an associate at the Chicago law firm of Schiff, Hardin & Waite.
About PBS
PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 33 million people online, 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’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.
Contact:
Jan McNamara, PBS, jmcnamara@pbs.org, 703-739-5028
