Janet K. Zwolinski has been named development director at Rhode Island’s PBS affiliate, WSBE-TV. Most recently, Zwolinski served as the acting senior director of major and planned gifts at Roger Williams University, as the assistant dean of the School of Architecture, Art & Historic Preservation. She is also a former executive director at Preserve Rhode Island. Zwolinski has a B.A. from Roger Williams University.
PBN: What are you looking forward to in your new position?
ZWOLINSKI: Rhode Island PBS is a cause I believe in because I grew up watching the station; I know what an important difference it can make in people’s lives. And I look forward to reminding people in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts that Rhode Island PBS is a powerful and valuable educational tool. I also hope to help grow our audience by promoting Rhode Island PBS to a younger generation.
My goal is to create a diversified fundraising plan to grow support for the station and to work with community organizations large and small to enhance our image as a source for local information and programming.
PBN: What makes a public broadcast system vital to the audience?
ZWOLINSKI: People have so many choices on their TV sets, with cable and satellite TV offering hundreds of channels. Simply put, local stations offer a perspective that cannot be found in national television offerings. And PBS is a nonviolent, noncommercial, educational source, so parents can let their children watch television without worry. Unlike other kinds of television stations where viewers don’t have a say in what is offered, the 9,500 members at Rhode Island PBS have a stake in our content. Because they are a funding source, members help drive what Rhode Island PBS offers.
PBN: What are some initiatives you are looking to implement at Rhode Island PBS that will encourage more viewer ship?
ZWOLINSKI: Right now, we are getting ready to launch Rhode Island PBS Kids Club, a membership program for kids that includes an educational welcome packet and informs parents about the offerings on our station appropriate for children ages 3 to 10. The development team is also working on funding the creation of a quiz show with local high school students called Rhode Scholars … For adults we continue to offer Antiques Road Show and Nova, which are national public television offerings, but Rhode Island PBS is also interested in developing a program for local filmmakers to produce documentaries on local culture. •
