William F. Baker (television)
William F. Baker | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Franklin Baker September 20, 1942 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Bill |
| Alma mater | Case Western Reserve University |
William Franklin Baker (born September 20, 1942) is an American broadcaster, author, academic, and explorer. Baker directs the Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Education, and Public Policy at Fordham University, where he is a Journalist in Residence and professor in the Graduate School of Education.[1]
He is also a Distinguished Professor of Media & Entertainment at IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, and a Professor President Emeritus of WNET. He also teaches business at the Juilliard School in New York City.
Career
In 1972, at WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio, Baker, along with general manager Don Perris, created The Morning Exchange, a morning program that provided news and weather updates at the beginning and end of each hour, with the remaining time dedicated to general-interest and entertainment topics.[2]
Baker was president of Westinghouse Broadcasting and chairman of their cable and programming companies.[3] At Westinghouse, Baker introduced Oprah Winfrey as a talk show host; PM Magazine became a syndicated program in the 1980s. Baker was involved in the early stages of the Discovery Channel and the Disney Channel launches. He established WNET's Educational Resources Center, which taught multimedia teaching techniques.[3]
Publications and productions
Baker has co-authored several books, including:
- The World's Your Stage: How Performing Artists Can Make a Living While Still Doing What They Love (AMACOM, 2016)
- Every Leader is an Artist
- Leading with Kindness: How Good People Consistently Get Superior Results
- Down the Tube: An Insider's Account of the Failure of American Television
- Lighthouse Island: Our Family Escape
As executive producer, his notable works include:
- The Face: Jesus in Art (Emmy-winning documentary)
- Sacred (2017 documentary)
- Leading with Kindness (2008 PBS documentary)
Awards
Baker has received seven Emmy Awards, including the 1987 Trustees Emmy Award. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[1] He has been inducted into the Management Hall of Fame by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. He received the Mark Schubert Award from the Lincoln Center Institute.[1] He has also received two Alfred I. DuPont–Columbia University Awards and the Gabriel Personal Achievement Award. In 2016, he was honored by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for his performing arts work.[4]
Personal Life
Baker holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Communications Sciences and Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University.[5] He is a former chairman of the National Parks System Advisory Board and serves on the board of Rodale, Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In cooperation with Fordham University, he teaches Juilliard's only business course, The Business of the Performing Arts.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Kelly, Milnes. "The Bernard L. Schwartz Center for Media, Public Policy and Education". www.fordham.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
- ^ The Morning Exchange (TV Series 1972–1999) - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-02-20 – via m.imdb.com.
- ^ a b "William Franklin Baker | American Academy of Arts and Sciences". www.amacad.org. 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ "William Baker, PhD – Jonas Philanthropies". Jonas Philanthropies. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "William F. Baker". American Academy in Berlin. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ^ "Baker, William at The Juilliard School". www.juilliard.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-12.