Acklin steps down from WQED
September 30, 2022WQED president and CEO Deborah Acklin has stepped down from the position after 12 years. Acklin will be focusing on treatments for non-smoker’s lung cancer.
In a press release, she said “Growing up, these were almost the only channels we watched and listened to,” citing Channel 13 and former sister, WQEX (16), and WQED-FM (89.3). She called her dozen years “a singular professional honor.
Acklin’s departure was announced at Thursday’s annual board meeting. A national search for the next CEO begins soon. Meanwhile, Chief Revenue Officer Lili Mosco and Chief Financial Officer Mike Waruszewski will serve as co-chief operating officers.
(Trib)
Having lost several close family members to lung cancer I am very sorry to hear about Ms. Acklin and will pray for her recovery. Sadly it seems WQED has deteriorated into little more than an infomercial barker channel. One that you can’t even receive over-the-air any longer. Not sure that whoever replaces her will be able to turn things around.
Actually Carson, one thing that Deb Acklin can be given large amounts of credit for doing is wiping out the stations long-standing severe debt a few years ago. How? They gave up digital channel 13 for digital channel 2. And, while over-the-air viewing may be at risk as a result, it allows the “multimedia” part of WQED Multimedia to live forth. I still say there may be a large number of people receiving signals OTA, but those who are still tied to the cord or have found ways of using internet sources such as YouTube to stream stations are probably in the majority.