Dr. Mario Vecchi has been named chief technology officer of PBS, and will start his tenure on January 27, the broadcaster announced late last week.
Vecchi, who will report to PBS chief operating officer Michael Jones, will oversee 120 full-time staffers in distribution operations and engineering, media management, interconnecting engineering, information technology, Web and new media applications/systems. Vecchi succeeds John McCoskey, who was named executive vice president and CTO of The Motion Picture Association of America in September.
In his new role, Vecchi will also work with PBS Digital in support of PBS’s mobile TV, Web and digital platforms.
Vecchi is currently president of P&A Development, a consulting firm focused on new products and businesses. From 2007 to 2011, he served as president of Apex Technologies, a company he created within the Grupo Ferre Rangel, a major communications and media group in Puerto Rico. Prior to that, Vecchi spent nearly a decade at AOL.
During his time at Time Warner Cable, Vecchi is credited with co-founding Road Runner, the MSO’s original high-speed Internet product.
"As America’s largest public service media enterprise and a national membership organization for independent public television stations around the country, it is critically important that PBS technology teams achieve the highest level of member station satisfaction, while fostering innovation, cost effectiveness and accountability,” said PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger, in a statement. "Dr. Vecchi brings a wealth of skill and experience to the role of leading an organization of talented and dedicated individuals in order to maximize PBS’ technology systems by ensuring reliability and responding strategically to the rapidly changing and increasingly complex media landscape."
"PBS is a leading organization in the media world. It has made pivotal contributions over the years, including technology," Vecchi added. "The rapidly changing landscape of both consumer habits and technology create great opportunities to innovate. I am honored to be able to work with Paula and Michael in leading a first-class technology team towards an exciting and productive future for PBS," added Vecchi, who is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a member of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).
