The general manager and another leader will be leaving Penn State Public Broadcasting and WPSU.
Ted Krichels, who has led the organization since 1999, said he is leaving to work nationally for public broadcasting. WPSU’s director of creative and technical operations will fill in for him.
Another leader is leaving too, according to Penn State officials. That person, however, was not named.
Krichels said in an emailed statement Wednesday that he made the announcement to WPSU FM/TV staff last week that he was resigning from Penn State.
“For the last five years, I have been doing work nationally for public broadcasting,” Krichels said. “That is where my passion lies and where I want to devote my energies. Public broadcasting is going through significant changes as is higher education, and especially Penn State. I believe that a healthy, independent public media service is an essential ingredient of a functional democratic society. It is a cause that I am excited to be fighting for.”
David Aneckstein, director of outreach news and communications, added that another member of the WPSU leadership tendered her resignation. That employee shared that she had been planning to pursue a different career path and had participated in training and certification courses for the past few months.
Aneckstein said Krichels’ resignation would be effective Feb. 28, at which time Kate Domico will take his place. Domico is WPSU’s director of creative and technical operations and has been with the organization for 13 years.
According to Penn State, Krichels is also the associate vice president for public engagement at Penn State and is active in national policy initiatives within public broadcasting, where he served on numerous Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS task forces.
In addition to overseeing Penn State Public Broadcasting’s transition from analog to digital broadcasting, Krichels has worked to integrate the mission of public broadcasting with that of the land grant university by hosting various conferences and projects.
Krichels’ Penn State biography states that he helped to found public broadcasting’s University Licensee Association and served as its first chairman. During the past year he was also chairman of the Affinity Group Coalition, representing all public television affinity groups, where he led a new effort to promote innovation throughout Penn State Outreach.
WPSX-TV began broadcasting in 1965. The call letters were changed to WPSU in 2005.
Britney Milazzo can be reached at 231-4648. Follow her on Twitter @brmilazzo.
