Dr. William F. Baker, Chief Executive of New York Public Television, Has Been Elected into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame; Dr. Baker Heads Public Television Stations Thirteen/WNET New York And WLIW21.

NEW YORK -- Dr. William F. Baker, chief executive of New York Public Television, which includes Thirteen/WNET, New York's flagship public television station, and WLIW21 New York, has been elected into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Monday, November 8th at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.

The Hall of Fame was established by Broadcasting & Cable to honor professionals in all areas of radio, television, cable, and satellite who have been pioneers or innovators in the field, or who have made significant contributions to the electronic arts. The upcoming 14th annual event adds Dr. Baker to a prestigious roll of honor that includes David Sarnoff, William S. Paley and Tom Brokaw, among others.

"Broadcasting & Cable has enjoyed a long and esteemed history as the premier news and information resource for the media," Dr. Baker said. "It's very gratifying to be included in its Hall of Fame and to be recognized for a career that has been more like a mission for me."

Dr. Baker has been head of New York Public Television since 1987. During his tenure Thirteen/WNET has grown and prospered, creating new program standards such as Charlie Rose, Wide Angle, Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly, and the children's math mystery series Cyberchase. He established the station's Educational Resources Center, which has become America's most prolific teacher trainer in multi-media techniques, and developed its first cable channel, MetroArts/Thirteen. He helped stabilize the finances of the station by instituting the largest endowment in public television history. He oversaw the station's transition to digital broadcasting and its historic merger with WLIW21, as well as the launch of several new digital channels.

Dr. Baker's career spans four decades. Prior to assuming his position at New York Public Television, he was president of Westinghouse Television and chairman of the cable and programming companies. During his 10 years at Westinghouse, five cable networks were launched, including Discovery Channel and the Disney Channel. He established the successful national P.M. Magazine program and introduced Oprah Winfrey as a talk show host.

He has been honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with its national Trustee's Emmy Award and its Silver Circle Award. He has won six Emmys as a television producer, two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards in Television and Radio Journalism, the Gabriel Award, and many others. Dr. Baker serves on the boards of the Public Broadcasting Service, Rodale Press, Freedom Communications, Inc., Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, Consumers Union, and Leitch Technology Corporation. He is on the Advisory Board of the National Park System. He is also an author and lecturer.

Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Stage on Screen, Secrets of the Dead, and Cyberchase - as well as the work of Bill Moyers - to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The Thirteen Walking Tours, New York Voices, and Reel New York. With educational and community outreach projects that extend the impact of its television productions, Thirteen takes television "out of the box." And as broadcast and digital media converge, Thirteen is blazing trails in the creation of Web sites, enhanced television, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, educational software, and other cutting-edge media products. More information about Thirteen can be found at: www.thirteen.org.