WCNY President and CEO Elected Chair of the Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York.

WCNY President and CEO Robert J. Daino has been elected Chair of the Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York (APBS).  The Association represents New York State’s nine public broadcasting stations.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work on a statewide level to further the goals of public broadcasting,” Daino said.  “All of the stations want to use their digital technology to not only educate and inform New Yorkers of all ages but also to promote cultural awareness and civic responsibility.  In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to seek strategic partnerships with other not- for-profit corporations, government agencies at all levels, and the private sector in order to achieve these goals.”

As Chair of APBS, Daino will work with Peter Repas, the Association’s Executive Director to foster and promote collaborations among member stations which enable them to better serve their communities.

“During Bob’s tenure at WCNY, the station has emerged as a vital regional resource whose high quality broadcast programs and diverse outreach services have totally engaged the entral New York community,” Repas stated.  “As Chair of APBS, Bob’s energy, vision and leadership will prove invaluable in positioning the stations to connect with their communities thereby enhancing the impact and influence of public broadcasting across New York State.”

APBS member stations include:  WMHT, Schenectady/Albany; WSKG, Binghamton; WNED, Buffalo; WLIW, Long Island; Thirteen/WNET, New York City; Mountain Lake PBS, Plattsburgh; WXXI, Rochester; WCNY, Syracuse; and WPBS, Watertown.

Known for providing content-rich broadcast programming that inspires, educates, and entertains, New York’s public broadcasting stations, in conjunction with the New York State Education Department, also offer a variety of educational services free of charge to all of New York State’s 260,000 K-12 teachers, 3.3 million K-12 students, and their parents.     

Daino commented, “Our shared vision is to be the ‘community hub’ which connects New Yorkers to education, the arts, and public affairs.  The power and flexibility of our digital spectrum enables us to be innovative in the development and distribution of local, regional, and national programming.”

New York’s public broadcasting stations are taking full advantage of emerging digital platforms.  As an example, earlier this year the stations launched a statewide fiber optic network which links all nine New York State stations.  This APBS interconnect allows all of the stations to share resources, programming, services, and technologies. “We have made tremendous strides working together to produce and air relevant, informative, interesting, and inspiring specials and documentaries on a statewide basis,” Daino noted.  “We are serving our communities’ needs in ways that only a true local public partner can.”