WASHINGTON – February 27, 2024 – America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) today presented the 2024 Excellence in Innovation Award to Edward J. Ulman, president and CEO of Alaska Public Media (AKPM), for his groundbreaking leadership providing innovative public services throughout the State of Alaska and overcoming the challenge of reaching the State’s most remote communities.
Under Ulman’s leadership, Alaska Public Media in 2021 won a competition to manage Alaska’s Rural Communications Services (ARCS), a satellite-based network of low-power translator transmitters serving more than 115 largely Alaska Native communities throughout rural and bush Alaska. Without Alaska Public Media, these communities would have no access to television service, including the essential weather information, emergency alerts, and educational programming that Alaska Public Media provides daily.
“Under Ed’s determined leadership, Alaska Public Media is serving people who are almost impossible to reach,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations. “This daily miracle is powerful evidence of public television stations’ commitment to serve everyone, everywhere, no matter the challenge of doing so, and Ed and his talented team are an inspiration to our entire system and to anyone wishing to do the hard work of public service. As the people of Alaska know well, Alaska Public Media is a robust, resilient and essential lifeline to every corner of The Last Frontier, and Ed Ulman proves every day that he is among the most resourceful, visionary and innovative leaders in all of public television.”
“I am humbled to accept this award on behalf of Alaska Public Media's board and staff,” said Edward J. Ulman. “It is a privilege to collaborate with so many who support public media’s mission of universal service. I also want to acknowledge my dear colleague, Bob Wyatt, who had just announced his retirement as Chief Technology Officer shortly after this effort began. Bob has stayed on part-time as a special project manager since. We could not have taken this ambitious challenge on without his mission-driven knowledge, experience and dedication.”
Edward J. Ulman is the President & CEO of Alaska Public Media (AKPM), Alaska's largest PBS, NPR, and statewide news organization. Ulman joined AKPM in May 2016. Since his arrival, Ulman led teams that revitalized local television production, expanded statewide enterprise journalism efforts, established AKPM as a CPB-PBS Ready To Learn station, and redefined community engagement, while increasing TV, radio, and online audiences. In addition, membership, major giving, and grant funding continue to grow year-over-year.
AKPM shifted community engagement activities by focusing on localizing national content while also delivering Alaskan stories to national public media audiences. Antiques Roadshow's first-ever visit to Alaska is a perfect example as is, of course, Molly of Denali. Other examples include Debate for the State, which aired nationally on C-SPAN, and AKPM video news packages that continue to air on PBS NewsHour. AKPM's reporters regularly contribute stories on various NPR programs and AKPM partnered with NPR to distribute "Midnight Oil," an eight-part podcast covering the 40-year history of the Alaskan Oil Pipeline, that garnered over one million downloads. Indie Alaska, a partnership with PBS Digital, just completed season 12. Most recently, AKPM earned its first NATAS Regional Emmy, two NATAS Citations for Outstanding Community Outreach, multiple Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and a National Edward R. Murrow Award for video journalism.
Before being selected by AKPM, Ulman served as Development Director, Interim General Manager, and after a national search that concluded in 2014, Executive Director and General Manager for KBTC Public Television in Tacoma, Washington. In 2013, PBS President Paula Kerger acknowledged KBTC's Ready To Learn partnership with the Tacoma Housing Authority in an interview on CNN and again, at the PBS Annual Meeting. With his Seattle counterpart at KCTS 9, Ulman received the Association of Public Television Stations 2015 National Advocacy Award.
In addition to his public television responsibilities, Ulman served as Dean of Instruction for the Bates Technical College broadcast, audio, video production and digital media programs. Ulman is also a jazz musician and performing arts enthusiast. He began his public broadcasting career, first as volunteer fundraising talent on KUAT-TV and KUAZ-FM in Tucson, Arizona, and then at New Mexico PBS in Albuquerque, where as Education and Outreach Manager, he led teams that earned a National Educational Television Association award for Take One Step: A Women's Health Initiative in 2007 and a PBS Development Award for KNME Science Central in 2008. Ulman has served on the PBS Teacher's Advisory Panel, the WGBH Teacher's Domain Implementation Advisory Committee and KCET's A Place of Our Own Station Advisory Committee
Ulman currently serves as a Trustee for America’s Public Television Stations, is Past Chair of the Affinity Group Coalition and Small Station Association, and is a member of the PBS Board of Directors.
The 2024 Excellence in Innovation Award was presented to Edward J. Ulman during the APTS Public Media Summit on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org