Downloads: Press Release
New York, NY — April 18, 2014 — Today, Mayor de Blasio announced his appointment of Cynthia López as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment at a press conference in Brooklyn’s Steiner Studios. POV congratulates Cynthia López on her new role as commissioner and for her immeasurable contribution to public media.
Since 2006, López has served as executive vice president and co-executive producer of POV (Point of View), American television’s longest-running independent documentary series. POV is the recipient of a 2013 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. First joining the organization in 2000, López has played a vital role in the organization’s growth. With POV Executive Director Simon Kilmurry, López oversaw all aspects of the organization’s development including: programming, community engagement and education, digital strategies, communications and overall management of the series. A focus of López’s work has been to mentor first-time and diverse filmmakers through the Diverse Voices Project, Youth Views Institute and Project VoiceScape. In her 14 years at American Documentary | POV, López forged innovative media partnerships with ABC News’ Nightline, Al Jazeera Network, Discovery Channel, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Harpo Studios, the Knight Foundation, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York, The Moth, National Radio Project, Netflix, The New York Times, Pentagram, Inc., StoryCorps and WNYC.
“Cynthia has been fundamental in transforming American Documentary into a tremendously successful organization. We cannot thank her enough for her tireless dedication and commitment to supporting storytelling and mentoring the next generation of filmmakers,” said Simon Kilmurry, POV executive director. “While we’ll miss her, Cynthia leaves the organization stronger than she found it and her legacy will live on through her work with the city of New York.”
In Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement today he welcomed López to the position, stating “Cynthia has the experience and understands how the industry works in the city, and as commissioner, she will lead the administration’s efforts to continue investments to keep New York City a top filming destination — while opening up the industry to New Yorkers from all five boroughs.”
POV looks forward to collaborating with López in her new role. POV’s 27th season on PBS begins on Monday, June 23, 2014 with the national broadcast premiere of Jason DaSilva’s When I Walk.
About Cynthia López
Cynthia López has served as executive vice president and co-executive producer of American Documentary and the award-winning documentary series POV (Point of View) since 2006. At POV, she has successfully implemented outreach strategies that increase public awareness about issues vital to the American public. Her ability to forge strategic partnerships among corporate and public interest media has been a signature of her work. The impact of the documentaries POV presents is palpable, and López has worked with key stakeholders in education, public policy and community development. López has been at American Documentary since 2000, previously holding the positions of vice president and communications director.
Prior to joining POV, she served as acting executive director of the Deep Dish Satellite TV Network and executive producer of Hunter College’s Satellite TV Network, which included university, municipal, and public access channels that distributed Latino public interest programming. López is the founding chair of the board of directors and a trustee of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP). She also serves on the board of directors for Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB).
About POV
Produced by American Documentary, Inc. and beginning its 27th season on PBS in 2014, the award-winning POV is the longest-running showcase on American television to feature the work of today’s best independent documentary filmmakers. POV has brought more than 365 acclaimed documentaries to millions nationwide. POV films have won every major film and broadcasting award, including 32 Emmys, 17 George Foster Peabody Awards, 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards® and the Prix Italia. In 2012, POV achieved a new milestone, winning five News & Documentary Emmy Awards®. Since 1988, POV has pioneered the art of presentation and outreach using independent nonfiction media to build new communities in conversation about today’s most pressing social issues. Visit www.pbs.org/pov.
American Documentary, Inc. (www.amdoc.org)
American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation.
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Bertha Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee, and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.
Contacts:
POV Communications: 212-989-7425. Emergency contact: 206-790-8697
Cathy Fisher, cfisher@pov.org; Amanda Nguyen, anguyen@pov.org
POV online pressroom: www.pbs.org/pov/pressroom
