South Carolina ETV and Public Radio names interim president

Listen to this article

South Carolina ETV and Public Radio will soon have a new leader.

The ETV Commission has selected Stephanie Frazier Cook to serve as interim president and CEO of South Carolina ETV and Public Radio. Cook will begin serving as interim president and CEO on March 4.

On Feb. 2, president and CEO Anthony Padgett announced his departure from SCETV after six years in the role, according to an SCETV news release. Padgett’s last day at SCETV will be March 3, and he will begin his new role as the Thomas Rieland Endowed General Manager of WOSU Public Media in Columbus, OH, on March 6.

“I’m honored to lead such a talented team through this transition. We have several exciting initiatives in the pipeline — from developing educational platforms and creating new content, to upgrading technology and expanding our funding streams,” Cook said in the release. “During my time as Interim President and CEO, I will work to ensure that we continue SCETV’s legacy of providing first-class content and resources to viewers and listeners across the state.”

The ETV Commission selected Cook for the interim role during a previously scheduled commission meeting on Feb. 8, according to the release. During this meeting, the ETV Commission also decided it will establish a search committee in the coming weeks to fill the network’s President and CEO position.

Cook currently serves as the assistant general manager at SCETV, leading the coordination of activities for finance, education, content development, communications and underwriting, the release stated. During her tenure with SCETV, she has led the station’s national and local work around datacasting for education, increased the station’s involvement in workforce development initiatives, enhanced community engagement activities around youth voices and facilitated the redesign of the station’s premier educational website, knowitall.org.

“Over the past six years, I’ve gotten the chance to see the positive impact that Dr. Cook has on our staff, content and community partners,” Padgett said in the release. “She is fully prepared to lead SCETV, and her experience will keep the agency on a steady path forward. Dr. Cook moving into the role of Interim President and CEO is a great example of SCETV’s efforts to cultivate talent and provide an environment where staff can grow.”

Cook has approximately 20 years of experience in administration, education and multimedia content development, according to the release. She received her undergraduate degree in business, master’s degree in Educational Technology and her Ph.D. in educational administration, all from the University of South Carolina.