ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 27, 2003 - The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has appointed Stephanie Aaronson to Senior Director, Media Relations and Program Promotion. She will report directly to Lea Sloan, Vice President, Media Relations, and will be based at PBS corporate headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
In her new role, Ms. Aaronson will oversee publicity and communications, as well as related events and talent, for programs distributed by PBS. She will work closely with consumer and business media, production companies and member stations to promote PBS series, specials and initiatives, as well as manage communications strategies around program-related and special events, including the twice yearly Television Critics Association Press Tour and the PBS Annual Meeting.
"We are delighted to welcome Stephanie to the Media Relations team of PBS," said Ms. Sloan. "Her experience, energy and skills will be tremendously valuable assets to us and all of public television."
Ms. Aaronson comes to PBS from the Hallmark Channel, where she served as Director, Corporate Communications, developing public affairs and media strategies for the cable network. Prior to that, she held the position of Director of Consumer Publicity for Lifetime Television where she spearheaded East Coast Program Publicity and Awards. From 1993 to 2000, Ms. Aaronson worked at Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI), where, with increasing responsibilities, she lead communications efforts around programming, marketing and local market promotions/events, affiliate and ad sales, retail, interactive and advanced television, film/IMAX, online, licensing and product. She began her career as an assistant executive director for Rutledge Communications and Broadcasting, Inc., and as an assistant weekend children's television producer.
Ms. Aaronson studied politics at Georgetown University and received her B.A. in Communications at George Mason University. She is a member of the National Academy of Arts & Sciences, Women in Cable and Telecommunications and Cable Television Public Affairs Association. She has volunteered to lead crews for the Avon Breast Cancer Walks and is a volunteer director/reader for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.
PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 350 public television stations. Serving nearly 100 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the Internet and other media. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, the leading dot-org Web site on the Internet.
Note: Stephanie Aaronson can be reached at 703-739-5074 or saaronson@pbs.org
Contact:
Lea Sloan
703/739-5021
Jan McNamara
703/739-5028