Garc°a tabbed to be next GM of KNME

Staff Report

Ted A. Garc°a will be the next general manager and chief executive officer of KNME-TV, Channel 5, effective July 1, 2001.

Garc°a, whose selection was announced by the KNME Board, is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of KETC-TV, Channel 9 (PBS), in St. Louis, Mo.

A multi-award winning station, KNME is a joint-licensee of UNM and Albuquerque Public Schools and serves northern and central New Mexico, eastern Arizona and southern Colorado. Nationwide, KNME is one of 360-plus independent television stations operating with the Public Broadcasting System.

"The process brought us some exceptional candidates from across the nation to consider for this important position," Judy K. Jones said in a press release. Jones is the vice president for advancement and supervises the television station. "The search committee did an outstanding job in conducting the search, and I am very pleased that the KNME Board selected Ted to be the next general manager of the station."

She praised the work of former general manager Jon Cooper during the last 21 years, which has positioned the station to move into the new era of digital television, including the delivery of educational programs in new, different and exciting ways.

"As the general manager & CEO, Ted will be interacting with the community at large, as well as the UNM and APS communities," Jones said. "Ted will provide outstanding leadership at a critical and exciting time for KNME."

Garc°a said in a press release that he is excited about the chance to come to New Mexico and working with a strong, award-winning station and staff.

"My wife and I love the Southwest and New Mexico has always felt like home," he said. "I look forward to working with the community and with UNM and APS, as we move forward with KNME-TV's federally mandated conversion to digital, and explore the possibilities of distance learning, multicasting and broadcasting opportunities which are only just emerging. The next few years will be an extremely challenging time for KNME-TV, and I feel proud and excited to be a part of it."

Garc°a initially came to KETC in 1981 as the director of operations. In 1992, he was promoted to senior vice president. Before working in public television, Garc°a held numerous creative and management positions with the television station's division of CBS at KMOX-TV in St. Louis. Garc°a's career in broadcasting includes positions as a contract sports producer director for Raycom Sports, consultant in video field production for the U.S. Department of Defense and manager of audience promotion for KMOX.

Recently, Garc°a has acted as a consultant for Ana G. Mendez University in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to assist that institution in strategic planning of the implementation of digital broadcasting, distance learning and potential commercial applications for their two public television channels and ITFS network.

A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, Garc°a holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where he serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for the Department of Mass Communications. Garc°a also will serve as the vice chairman of the national meeting of the American Red Cross.