BEA2013Announces Keynote Speaker Evan Shapiro, President Participant Television
Washington, D.C. – The Broadcast Education Association is proud to announce the BEA2013 keynote speaker Evan Shapiro, President of Participant Media’s Participant Television.
Evan Shapiro joined Participant Media in May 2012 as President of Participant Television. Evan is responsible for the conception, development, and production of original television programming that will follow the company’s model of commercial and socially relevant entertainment. Participant Media just announced the Summer 2013 launch of a TV network targeting “the next greatest generation” of viewers.
Prior to Participant, Evan served as President of IFC TV and Sundance Channel, where he steered both networks to new business and programming models that garnered each network its first Primetime Emmy nominations, as well as its first Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he has executive produced numerous acclaimed original documentaries and series, including This Film Is Not Yet Rated, which challenged the MPAA for its ratings practices; the Peabody Award-winning Brick City, which chronicled a year in the life of Newark’s Mayor, Cory Booker; At the Death House Door, Steve James’ provoking documentary on the death penalty; R. Kelly’s one-of-a-kind ‘hip-hopera,’ Trapped in the Closet; and most recently, the two-time Peabody Award-winning hit series Portlandia.
Evan has dedicated much of his life to public service and education. He has served on the Board of Directors at The Ghetto Film School for the past eight years (including three years as Board Chair) and helped open the Cinema School, the nation’s first public high school for film and video. He is Chair of the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Social Venture Network; a Board member of Women in Cable Telecommunications New York; Chair of the Cable Center’s Cable Mavericks Masters Program; and is an Adjunct Professor of Television Management at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Evan is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.
Evan’s keynote will take place during BEA2013 on Monday, April 8 from 2:30 – 3:45 pm at the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Please click here for more information about Participant Media.
About Participant Media Participant Media (participantmedia.com) is an entertainment company that focuses on documentary and non-documentary feature films, television, publishing and digital content about the real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s online division and Social Action Network is TakePart (takepart.com). Founded by Jeff Skoll in 2004, Jim Berk serves as CEO. Participant’s films include The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Visitor, Food, Inc., The Cove, The Crazies, Countdown to Zero, Waiting for “Superman,” Fair Game, PAGE ONE: Inside The New York Times, The Help, Contagion, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Middle of Nowhere, Lincoln and Promised Land.
About the BEA Convention BEA’s annual convention is held in conjunction with NAB Show in Las Vegas every spring. Co-located next door at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, BEA’s annual convention attracts 1,200 educators and students with 200 sessions, events, research panels, technology workshops and an exhibit hall, making BEA NAB Show’s largest conference partner.
About the Broadcast Education Association The Broadcast Education Association is the professional association for professors, industry professionals and graduate students interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises. There are currently more than 2,500 individual and institutional members world wide. Visit www.beaweb.org for more information.
