WGBH Names Cheng GM Of World Channel

Noncommercial WGBH Boston (DMA 7) today appointed Elizabeth Cheng general manager of its World Channel. Cheng joins WGBH from Hearst Television Inc., where she was VP-director of programming and communications for WCVB and WMUR.

The World Channel, funded with major grant support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, is a multicast service, fully integrated across television, radio, Web, mobile and social media, featuring nonfiction news and documentary television curated from a wide variety of sources. Launched by WGBH and WNET New York in 2004, World presents the works of a broad array of voices and creators. It is carried by nearly 60 public television stations across the United States on multiple platforms.

In this new role, Cheng will provide leadership and vision for the World Channel, managing business, technical and creative issues surrounding the production, distribution and marketing of the project. She is also charged with furthering its public service mission by developing programs and seeking out independent producers to ensure a robust pipeline of content, collaborating with partner organizations such as the National Minority Consortia, ITVS (Independent Television Service) and the PBS series P.O.V.

Cheng has been the creative executive producer of many award-winning series and specials for WCVB, including executive producer of nearly all of the station’s non-news specials, for which she has received local and national recognition. Among her honors are a national Primetime Emmy Award nomination; two National Association of Broadcasters Awards; two National Association of Television Programming Executives honors; three Gabriel Awards; an Action for Children’s Television Award from Peggy Charren; a Parents’ Choice Award; and many New England Emmys. In addition to specials and series programming, she has been the executive in charge of Chronicle, WCVB’s nightly news magazine that covers New England and beyond.

Cheng is a graduate of Brown University.