Dwyer leaves KQED with ratings up more than 20% over last year and with the highest primetime rating for PBS affiliates in the top 10 national markets.
Assistant Program Director Susie Hernandez to be named KQED's new Program Director.
KQED’s Chief Content Officer and Senior Vice President, Michael Isip announced the retirement of Scott Dwyer, the KQED Public Television Program Director. The 2009 PBS Programmer of the Year Award recipient has been with KQED since 1985 and in his current role since 1995. He retires on August 1, and Assistant Program Director Susie Hernandez will be named KQED's new Program Director. Dwyer currently schedules five channels for KQED, including KQED 9 and KQED Plus, with coverage for more than 6 million people. He leaves KQED Public Television in a stellar position with KQED 9 ratings up 20.8% (Live+7) and KQED Plus ratings up 24.5% (Live+7) in the last year. KQED currently has the highest primetime ratings among the top 10 market public television stations, 16% higher than the PBS primetime average against the top 64 Nielsen-metered markets.
Isip said: “Maintaining our audience success in such a competitive environment and a period of audience fragmentation are proof that Scott not only knows great programming, but that he knows the Bay Area. Scott is so widely respected across public television. In fact, station programmers around the country and senior programming executives at PBS look to Scott’s creative and strategic approach to acquiring and scheduling programs.” He added: “As we celebrate Scott’s wonderful career, I am excited to turn over our lead TV programming role to Susie, who is committed to bringing quality and unique programming to our nine counties.”
“This has been a dream job serving such a worldly, open and supportive audience,” said Dwyer. “It’s thanks to the Bay Area viewership and the innovative spirit of KQED that I’ve gotten to explore subject matter and styles that other programmers around the country only wish they could.”