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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

David Fogarty Retiring As WCET-TV, WPTD-TV President

Courtesy WCET-TV

David Fogarty, president of WCET-TV and Dayton's WPTD-TV, will retire June 30, at the end of the current fiscal year.

Fogarty, who started his public broadcasting career at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., has been president and CEO of Public Media Connect since the regional Cincinnati-Dayton public media partnership was formed 11 years ago.

He joined Dayton's WPTD-TV as station manager/director of broadcasting and telecommunications in 1988, and was promoted to Channel 16 president in 1993.

After June 30, "he will continue to work with the station’s leadership for several months to ensure a smooth transition," according to the station's announcement.

Here's the release:

CET and ThinkTV President and CEO David Fogarty Announces Retirement Effective June 30, 2020

Cincinnati, OH – CET and ThinkTV President David Fogarty announced that he will be stepping down from his position effective June 30, 2020, after more than 40 years in public media.

Fogarty has been the President and CEO of Public Media Connect, the regional partnership of CET in Cincinnati and ThinkTV in Dayton for 11 years.  He has also been president of the Southwestern Ohio Instructional Technology Association since 2017 when SOITA joined the partnership.  Previously, he served as president of ThinkTV since 1993.  

“While I take pride in these organizations and what they have accomplished, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with committed trustees, talented staff, generous donors, community partners and professional colleagues who have made those accomplishments possible,” Fogarty said. “As I leave my position, I continue to have faith and confidence in the cultural, informational and educational mission of Public Media Connect, as well as an appreciation for my career, longevity and good fortune.”

Fogarty began his work in public media as the Manager of Broadcast Projects and Senior Producer at Twin Cities Public Television and joined the ThinkTV staff in 1988 as the Station Manager/Director of Broadcasting and Telecommunications. His background includes work as an international communications consultant in South America and duties with the United States Peace Corps in Colombia. He has taught at the University of Minnesota and lectured at a number of colleges. Fogarty began his professional career with ABC News, New York in national documentary production.

In addition to his work at Public Media Connect, Fogarty has served on a number of local non-profit and community boards of cultural, educational and human service organizations and agencies. He is the immediate past President of the Ohio Educational Television Stations, Inc. (OETS), past President of the Ohio Alliance for Public Telecommunications and is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA).

“David has led CET and ThinkTV through many changes, from bringing the stations together to form the regional partnership Public Media Connect to creating a strategic plan with a strong focus on digital platforms, just to mention a few. We appreciate his leadership and the energy he has put into keeping the stations fiscally healthy as well as on the leading edge of content, technology and public media,” said Carrie Haley, President of the Public Media Connect Board of Trustees.

While Fogarty’s retirement will come at the end of Public Media Connect’s fiscal year, he will continue to work with the station’s leadership for several months to ensure a smooth transition.

About Public Media Connect:

Public Media Connect is Southwest Ohio’s leading provider of education and enrichment in both living rooms and classrooms, serving more than 3 million people in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton communities. Public Media Connect’s mission is to strengthen the communities it serves by providing content and services that engage, inspire and inform, educate and entertain, fostering culture and citizenship, the joy of learning and the power of diverse perspectives.

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.