Paula Kerger is the president and chief executive officer of PBS, the nation's largest non-commercial media organization representing more than 330 member stations throughout the country.[1][2] She has served in this role since March 2006, making her the longest-serving president and CEO in PBS history.[2][3] In 2024, PBS's board extended her contract for five additional years.[3] A native of Baltimore, Kerger developed an early appreciation for public media through her grandfather, who helped found the city's public radio station.[5] She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Baltimore and has received honorary doctorates from Washington University in St. Louis, Grand Valley State University, and Allegheny College.[6] Prior to joining PBS, Kerger spent more than a decade at Educational Broadcasting Corporation, where she served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the parent company of Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 New York.[1][5] She also held positions at the Metropolitan Opera, International House, and the U.S. Committee for UNICEF.[5] Under Kerger's leadership, PBS has undergone significant transformation from a traditional broadcaster into a multiplatform digital media organization.[1][2] The network has risen from the 14th most-watched network in America to number seven over the past decade.[2] Each year, approximately 80% of U.S. television households watch PBS, and viewers access nearly 375 million videos monthly on PBS's digital platforms.[5] Kerger also serves as president of the PBS Foundation, which raises private sector funding for public television projects.[5][6] She has championed PBS KIDS educational programming and PBS LearningMedia, which reaches millions of educators and students annually.[2][5] Currently, Kerger faces significant challenges following President Trump's July 2025 signing of legislation that clawed back $1.1 billion in previously allocated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and member stations.[3] The CPB announced in August 2025 that it would cease operations in early 2026 absent intervention.[3]