Work in Progress: Paula Kerger
Work in Progress with Sophia Bush
iHeartPodcasts
4.7 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 17 December 2025
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
She runs PBS — and she’s fighting to save it. Paula Kerger, the longest-serving president in PBS history, sounds the alarm on what’s at stake as public broadcasting faces unprecedented cuts. From Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood to PBS NewsHour, she makes a passionate case for truth and why democracy itself depends on access to trusted information.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed human. |
| 0:04.5 | Hey, everyone. It's Sophia. |
| 0:06.7 | Welcome to Work in Progress. |
| 0:18.6 | Hi, Whipsmarties, welcome back to this week's work in progress. |
| 0:22.5 | I have to say I am having the most excited sort of nerd alert alarm going off in my brain right now |
| 0:28.9 | because I'm interviewing one of my brain crushes today, who is a hero to public service, |
| 0:37.2 | who centers the good of the people and early childhood |
| 0:42.4 | development and everything that she does. She is just too pure for this world, but manages to also be |
| 0:49.0 | such a fighter and such an inspiration. Y'all, today we are joined by Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS. |
| 0:59.9 | This is the woman responsible for Sesame Street. |
| 1:03.1 | This is the woman responsible for community care. |
| 1:07.1 | And since 2006, she has transformed PBS into a multi-platform media institution that reaches over 80% of U.S. households. |
| 1:17.8 | And by the way, has no responsibility to an investor, to an owner, to anybody trying to shape what they say or how they say it. |
| 1:29.7 | Her responsibility is to us, to the American people, to the kids in this country who PBS |
| 1:35.8 | works to ensure are ready to go to school. |
| 1:39.7 | I mean, come on. |
| 1:40.7 | What is better than this? |
| 1:41.7 | And Paula herself is known for being incredibly dedicated |
| 1:45.6 | to American community while fiercely defending each and every local station and that |
| 1:52.9 | educational programming I mentioned that is critical to communities nationwide. I think she's so |
| 1:59.5 | special because she was shaped by her grandfather's work in Baltimore |
... |
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