Steven J. Schupak named president of Maryland Public Television
Steven J. Schupak, Maryland Public Television‘s executive vice president and station manager, will become president and chief executive officer of the 55-year-old statewide TV network on July 1, succeeding retiring CEO Larry D. Unger.
Schupak’s selection by MPT’s governing body, the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, came after a nationwide search.
“It’s an honor to take the helm of Maryland Public Television, a remarkable organization with a rich history of engaging audiences through educational, documentary, natural history, arts, public affairs, and community-based programming,” Schupak said. “Even though the media landscape is constantly evolving, the talented team here will keep our service-driven mission at the heart of everything we do, consistent with our promise to enrich lives and strengthen communities.”
A Potomac, Md, resident, Schupak joined MPT in 2003 after a two-decade career in television and media. He was named chief operating officer in 2014 and station manager in 2021. During his MPT tenure, he has been responsible for content creation, educational services, and development activities in addition to overseeing the network’s finance and accounting operations.
In addition, he created the eight-year-old Maryland State Ad Agency division of MPT to provide advertising and media buying services for Maryland state agencies and other governmental clients. More recently, he oversaw the launch of the Maryland Center for Media Literacy & Education, MPT’s comprehensive education division that includes programs and services to enhance media literacy statewide and, in particular, among school-age children.
His efforts have helped build MPT into one of the nation’s top producing stations and the sixth-largest in total revenue among the 150 PBS member stations. MPT is the largest in total revenue among the 18 state-licensed public TV stations in the United States.
Prior to joining MPT, Schupak was vice president of Henninger Media Services where he oversaw the firm’s program production and cable distribution efforts. Other earlier posts included executive positions at COMSAT Video Enterprises and the National Cable Television Association. He began his TV career at the ABC Television Network.
