Broadcaster Frank Cruz Named Chairman of CPB

* Award-winning broadcaster Frank Cruz on Tuesday was elected chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Washington-based nonprofit group that funds the programming and operations of public radio and television stations nationwide.

The election of Cruz reflects the organization’s emphasis on diversity, one of the CPB’s top three budget and policy priorities in the coming year. The CPB has appropriated $7 million of its $300-million budget toward diversity programming.

“Public broadcasting must lead in defining and delivering excellent programming and public services in this new-media era,” Cruz said in a statement. He was traveling Tuesday and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Public broadcasting executives lauded the choice of Cruz.

“Frank gets it. This is a person who really understands the system of public broadcasting,” said Mel Rogers, president and general manager of KOCE-TV, the public TV station in Orange County. “He understands how it works, its mission, where it needs to go in the future and how to get there.”

Cruz, 59, of Laguna Niguel was appointed to the CPB board in 1994 by President Clinton. He has deep roots in business and the media.

The University of Southern California graduate was an Emmy Award-winning news reporter and weekend anchor at KNBC-TV and reporter at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. He went on to help found Telemundo, the nation’s second Spanish-language network, and KVEA-TV in Los Angeles, where he served as vice president and later general manager.