Beth Hoppe, Senior PBS Executive, Jumps to ABC News

Brian Steinberg
Updated

Beth Hoppe, a senior PBS executive with years of experience in the marketing and management of documentaries, is joining ABC News.

Hoppe, who has been chief programming executive and general manager of general audience programming at PBS, will become ABC News’ senior vice president for long-form programming, ABC News President James Goldston said in a memo to staff Friday. She will oversee will oversee all ABC News long form programming, including Lincoln Square Productions, “20/20” work and digital features.

“Beth joins our long form teams at a time of great creative success and expansion. Our long form storytelling is one of the hallmarks of what makes ABC News so distinctive,” Goldston said in a statement. “Bringing together all our long form assets will position us to produce our very best creative and journalistic work in this moment of extraordinary opportunity across so many networks and platforms. Beth’s keen instincts for discovering, creating and launching new programs will be essential to continue our momentum.”

At PBS, Hoppe oversaw the strategy and roll out of Ken Burns’ “The Vietnam War” and “The Roosevelts,” created the drama “Mercy Street,” partnered with the BBC to produce nature and science specials, cultivated independent movie projects such as the Oscar-nominated film “Last Days in Vietnam,” and produced history specials on the assassination of JFK and The March on Washington.

Prior to her time at PBS, Beth was executive producer at Discovery Networks and President and CEO of Optomen Productions, which produced programming for Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, PBS and The Food Network. She started in news at New Hampshire Public Television and as director of “The 10 O’Clock News” at WGBH in Boston.

 

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