UNC-TV Names Travis Mitchell Senior Director/Chief Content Officer
Research Triangle Park, NC – UNC-TV named Travis Mitchell of Raleigh as its new Senior Director/Chief Content Officer in its quarterly Board of Trustees meeting, Tuesday, September 5. Mitchell, who currently serves as a member of the network’s advisory board, starts his new position Monday, September 18.
In his new role, Mitchell is responsible for ensuring that UNC-TV, North Carolina’s statewide public media network of four channels and online properties, has the necessary content to make its services viable, relevant and strong for viewers, members and other stakeholders. He will also oversee all content initiatives, both internal and external, across multiple platforms and formats to drive viewership and membership growth. And as a key member of UNC-TV’s senior leadership team, Mitchell will help set organizational-wide priorities and strategies, as well as provide strategic leadership and editorial vision for all UNC-TV content, educational services, programming and production services.
In naming Mitchell to this newly-created position, UNC-TV Executive Director and General Manager Brian Sickora said:
“I was looking for a leader who will help UNC-TV’s highly-qualified professionals reach their individual and collective potential. I’ve never been more excited about the future of UNC-TV.”
Mitchell, 47, brings more than two decades of experience in all aspects of commercial media and publishing. His background includes leadership in content and business development. As chief operating officer and executive vice president, Mitchell helped launch and manage the MBC Network (aka The Black Family Channel), a digital cable television channel ultimately available to national cable subscribers in 31-million homes in 48 states. He was instrumental in launching award-winning live sports and news divisions.
Previously he was managing editor for four nationally-distributed magazines: US Black Engineer, Hispanic Engineer, Black Professional and Hispanic Professional. For the last six years, Mitchell served in executive leadership in education. As president of Communities In Schools (CIS) of Wake County, Mitchell has led an organizational transformation marked by significant growth in the number of students served and a three-fold jump in grant funding. Mitchell also offers a unique understanding of UNC-TV through his previous leadership and service on the UNC-TV Board of Trustees.
“UNC-TV was there for me and my grandmother when I would return to my home in Southeast Raleigh from pre-school and elementary school while my mother headed to graduate school to obtain two masters degrees in education,” said Mitchell. “I learned to spell by watching Sesame Street; how to do math by watching The Electric Company; and my mind was opened to the vastness of the universe and its endless possibility by watching 3-2-1 Contact. Somewhere across the state there is a little boy or girl coming home after school. I want to make sure that UNC-TV is there for them, too, just like it was for me.”
Mitchell earned his Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Education from the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate in Executive Education from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he played varsity basketball, was a student leader and editor of the campus newspaper. A graduate of Enloe High School in Raleigh and the son of retired educators, Mitchell lives in his hometown of Raleigh with his wife and their daughter
About UNC-TV
UNC-TV, Public Media North Carolina, provides people of all ages with enriching media through its distinctive array of programs and services online and via four digital channels: UNC-TV—PBS & More, UNC-EX—The Explorer Channel, Rootle—UNC-TV’s 24/7 PBS KIDS Channel and the North Carolina Channel—Stories with a Local Accent. UNC-TV’s 12 stations comprise North Carolina’s only statewide television network, made possible through a unique partnership of public investment and private support. Additionally, UNC-TV provides emergency services support for the state and free educational services and resources for teachers.
UNC-TV is committed to producing, broadcasting and sharing content for and about North Carolina, making it the most important source of information about the state. Visit unctv.org and join the conversation by connecting with us at facebook.com/unctv, @unctv on Twitter and instagram.com/unctv.
source: unctv.org