William F. Baker (television)

In 1972, at WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio, Baker created The Morning Exchange, a morning program that provided news and weather updates at the beginning and end of each hour, and he used the remaining time to do general-interest and entertainment topics. He later became station manager. to over 100 stations, then in 1979 was made President of Westinghouse Television (NY) and Chairman of Group W Satellite Communications. At Westinghouse, Baker introduced Oprah Winfrey as a talk show host. Baker was involved in the early stages of the Discovery Channel and the Disney Channel launches. He established WNET's Educational He was president of PBS New York flagship PBS station from 1987 to 2008. Baker is among the few individuals to have visited both the North and South Poles. His first South Pole expedition took place in December 1974, followed by a North Pole expedition on April 15, 1983, and a return to the South Pole in December 1988. A companion book for the series is also scheduled to be published by PBS Books. Baker has produced many films and television programs and the 2020 Religion News Service podcast BELIEFS. == Publications and productions ==

Baker has co-authored several books, including: • ''The World's Your Stage: How Performing Artists Can Make a Living While Still Doing What They Love'' (AMACOM, 2016) • Every Leader is an Artist • Leading with Kindness: How Good People Consistently Get Superior Results • ''Down the Tube: An Insider's Account of the Failure of American Television'' • Lighthouse Island: Our Family Escape As executive producer, his works include: • Picturing Mary (2022) • The Face: Jesus in Art (2021 Emmy-winning documentary) • Sacred (2017 documentary) • Leading with Kindness (2008 PBS documentary) == Awards ==

Baker has received seven Emmy Awards, including the 1987 Trustees Emmy Award. He was also a Distinguished Visitor at the American Academy in Berlin, Class of 2008. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. == Personal life ==

Baker has a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Communications Sciences and Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University. He is a former chairman of the National Parks System Advisory Board and serves on the board of Westinghouse Broadcasting Company (1979-1987) Rodale, Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, Leitch Electronic(Canada) and Freedom Communications. He is married to Jeannemarie Gelin, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, in 1968. == References ==