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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO ENTERTAINMENT, NATIONAL, AND RADIO-TELEVISION EDITORS:
WNET Hires New Executive Producer for American Masters series
NEW YORK, April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WNET, parent
company of New York's public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21
and operator of NJTV, announced the appointment of Michael Kantor as
executive producer of its American Masters series.
"We did a thoughtful and exhaustive search to find the right person
for this position," said Stephen Segaller, vice president of
programming at WNET. "And Michael has the talent and vision to
continue the great legacy of American Masters. He has a deep knowledge
of American culture - as his many award-winning films have
demonstrated - and the ability to get projects funded and filmed. We
are pleased and fortunate to welcome him to WNET." Kantor will begin
his new duties April 30.
A long-time producer and filmmaker for PBS who has also worked on
programs for HBO and other cable networks, Kantor has created a number
of award-winning programs with WNET. Kantor's six-part series
Broadway: The American Musical was hosted by Julie Andrews and won the
Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series. His Emmy-nominated
series Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America was hosted by
Billy Crystal and narrated by Amy Sedaris. Kantor has produced two
programs for WNET's Great Performances series, including Broadway
Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, which was narrated by Joel Grey and just
won a 2014 Peabody Award.
"This is an amazing opportunity," said Kantor, "I can't imagine a more
interesting and creatively challenging series to work on than American
Masters. I've been inspired by the remarkable films and the
extraordinary filmmakers that the series has brought to a broad
national audience. I'm honored to carry on this tradition as we plan
for the exciting evolution of the series."
"Michael's fine filmmaking and his history with WNET and PBS makes him
a natural choice for this position," said WNET President and CEO Neal
Shapiro. "I'm excited about the next chapter for American Masters, one
of the iconic series we produce for PBS, and I look forward to having
Michael on our team."
Launched in 1986, American Masters has earned 26 Emmy Awards -
including nine for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series since 1999 and five
for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special - 12 Peabodys, an Oscar, three
Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, and many other honors. Now in its
28th season on PBS, the series is a production of THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS
LLC for WNET. To take American Masters beyond the television broadcast
and further explore the themes, stories and personalities of masters
past and present, the companion website
(http://pbs.org/americanmasters) offers streaming video of select
films, interviews, photos, outtakes, essays, and other resources.
About WNET As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent
company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings
quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than 5
million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed
PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS
NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries,
children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available
on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has
created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and
Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling
content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the
tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS,
Reel 13, NJTV News with Mike Schneider and MetroFocus, the
multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is
also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms,
including the THIRTEEN Explore iPad App where users can stream PBS
content for free.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131218/DC35560LOGO
SOURCE WNET
-0- 04/16/2014
/CONTACT: Natasha Padilla, WNET, 212-560-8824 or padilla@wnet.org
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131218/DC35560LOGO
/Web Site: http://www.thirteen.org
CO: WNET
ST: New York
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0000 04/16/2014 13:30:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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