WEDU PBS Appoints Paul Grove as New President & CEO

WEDU PBS has named Paul Grove as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 10, 2019. Grove is joining WEDU from WTCI PBS in Chattanooga, where he has served as President and CEO for thirteen years. WEDU’s board of directors selected Grove after conducting a national search to replace Susan Howarth, who led the public media station for eight years; Howarth died in September. Vice president of content Jack Conely has served as interim president and chief executive during the search process.

“Paul’s leadership skills and experience will take WEDU into an exciting next chapter,” says Brian Keenan, chair of the board and head of the search committee. “Coming from WTCI – a station going through its own period of growth – he has a proven track record in forging new partnerships and thinking expansively about leveraging technology. Paul has a clear passion for public media, with more than 25 years in the business, and is able to inspire innovative approaches to programming, underwriting, and funding support.”

The move marks a return to WEDU and Tampa for Grove. Prior to taking the CEO role in Chattanooga, he served as vice president of national programming and production at WEDU, helping launch the long-time Emmy-winning series “A Gulf Coast Journal.” He was at the station for 12 years.

As WEDU celebrates its 60 years of serving the public, Keenan says, having the top job means being able to stay on strategy but also pivot when necessary to adjust to ongoing changes across the public media landscape. “Paul will help WEDU build on our strong fundamentals but also adapt to the shifting realities of funding, platforms, viewer habits, and more. We are teeing up for the next six decades of meeting our communities’ needs.”

“WEDU is recognized as one of the top PBS stations nationwide – for its content, reach, and overall excellence,” says Grove. “It would take a truly extraordinary place and team to compel me to move from a wonderful station like WTCI, and this is that opportunity. I am thrilled to return to WEDU and to such a talented, dedicated organization. I am also happy to come home to Florida – to be a part of the growth and changes happening in this region, and to enjoy and explore the richness of the culture, politics, and personalities in this area.”