Liroff Goes to CPB
From Jon Abbott and Henry Becton— 2/22/2007
It is with both excitement, and a sense of loss, that we share with you the news that David Liroff has accepted the position of Senior Vice President, System Development and Media Strategy with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and will be leaving WGBH.
Among his many accomplishments, David has led WGBH’s transition to digital broadcasting and production; facilitated the technical transition to our new headquarters; created the Media Archives and Preservation Center; created and managed the Audience Research department; established our first professionally-staffed audience and member services department; and shepherded the original ‘pledge-free’ campaign.
David has been an exceptional ambassador for WGBH with our many national partners in public television and radio, serving on numerous boards and committees, advising on topics ranging from new technology to legislative policy to funding models. He is nationally acknowledged for his thoughtfulness and expertise and for his work across the public broadcasting system, facilitating successful collaborations on behalf of public broadcasting and WGBH.
Our consolation in David’s departure is that we will continue to have the benefit of his wisdom on a range of strategic issues through his work with CPB.
- David Liroff’s remarks on the State of WGBH
- Platform Agnostic’s rendition of Money for Nothin’ at the CPB
From CPB – 2/22/2007
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) today announced the appointment of David Liroff as Senior Vice President, System Development and Media Strategy. Liroff comes to CPB from WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts where he has held the position of Vice President and Chief Technology Officer since 1995. At CPB, he will oversee CPB initiatives including: system strategy and policy development, audience-based research, implementation of station grant policy and strategy, and investments in new technologies.
“David brings an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and senior management experience in public broadcasting and new media,” said CPB president and CEO Patricia Harrison. “We are thrilled to have such a remarkable individual help guide CPB on behalf of the stakeholders of public broadcasting.”
“David has made enormous contributions to WGBH and to the public broadcasting system,” said WGBH president Henry Becton, Jr. “We have benefited greatly from his expertise and sound guidance on a range of issues from technology to strategy and policy. We’ll miss David at WGBH, but we are delighted that the entire system will now have the benefit of his wisdom.”
Over the course of his tenure at WGBH, David Liroff has been responsible for production services, engineering, information technology, telecommunications, digital asset management, audience research, broadcasting, creative services, membership, major gifts and capital campaign fundraising, local program and national “how-to” program production, and for overseeing WGBH’s transition to digital production and broadcasting.
Liroff currently serves on the Board of Directors of American Public Television and Public Interactive (Public Radio International). From 1999 to 2005, he served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Public Television Stations. Liroff is also a member of several public broadcasting committees and advisory panels and is a recognized expert about the impact of new technologies on public broadcasting and society.
Liroff joined WGBH in 1979 as broadcast manager. He became television station manager in 1982, rising to his current position in 1995. Liroff came to WGBH from St. Louis public television station KETC, where he served as director of broadcasting. Prior to that, he was program director for WOUB-TV20 in Athens, Ohio and assistant professor in the College of Communication, School of Radio/Television at Ohio University.
Liroff earned a Ph.D. in radio, TV and film from Northwestern University, a Masters in speech and theater from Brooklyn College/City University of New York, and a Bachelors degree in political science from MIT.