MONDAY, JANUARY 28 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 31
SHERATON NEW ORLEANS
Marriott Marquis | Washington, DC | Sunday, January 28 – Wednesday, January 31, 2019

Speaker Beth Hoppe

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Beth Hoppe

SVP, Long Form Programming

ABC News

Beth Hoppe is the senior vice president for Long Form at ABC News, overseeing long-form programming including Lincoln Square Productions, “20/20” and digital features. She is based in New York and reports to ABC News President James Goldston.

Prior to joining ABC News she was the chief program executive and general manager for General Audience Programming at PBS, growing the network from the 12th to the 6th most-watched in America. During her tenure, she oversaw the return of the acclaimed drama “Mercy Street,” a civil war medical drama set in Alexandria, Virginia; partnered with the BBC to generate science and natural history specials; developed a multiplatform strategy for the Oscar®-nominated film “Last Days in Vietnam”; and created an independent film on the Black Panthers. Hoppe collaborated with filmmaker Ken Burns to develop the strategy and rollout for “The Roosevelts,” the most-watched factual program on PBS, and “The Vietnam War.” Under her guidance, PBS had more News and Documentary Emmy® Award wins than any other network in 2016 and 2017.

Hoppe acquired new series and specials for PBS, including “Finding Your Roots with Skip Gates,” “Genealogy Roadshow,” “In Their Own Words,” “Call the Midwife,” “Last Tango in Halifax” and “Vicious.” She also launched timely specials including programming commemorating the anniversary of the assassination of JFK and the march on Washington.

Hoppe also oversaw all of PBS’ award-winning programs, including “Frontline,” “PBS Newshour, Masterpiece,” “NOVA,” “Nature,” “American Experience,” “American Masters” and “Great Performances.” Before taking on the top programming job at PBS, Hoppe served as vice president of Programming, overseeing natural history, science, history, and news and public affairs programming.

Before PBS, Hoppe was the executive producer at Discovery Networks where she oversaw the series “Curiosity,” and developed and produced science projects for Discovery Studios. Prior to her time at Discovery, Hoppe was president and CEO of Optomen Productions USA, a New York-based television production company that she started from its inception. As executive producer, she produced numerous successful programs and series for Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, PBS and The Food Network. Her productions which turned into long-running series include “Monsters Inside Me” for Animal Planet, “Most Evil” for Discovery and I.D,, “Worst Cooks in America” for Food Network, “Mysteries of the Museum” for Travel Channel, “Evolve” for The History Channel, “Mars: Quest for Life” and “Are We Alone?” for Discovery and Science Channel, “Can Animals Predict Disaster?” for PBS’ Nature channel and “Gangland Graveyard” for Secrets of the Dead.

Prior to joining Optomen, she was Thirteen/WNET’s executive producer of PBS’s Emmy-nominated “Frontier House” and “Colonial House.” Working with the UK’s Channel 4, she created the long-running strand “Secrets of the Dead,” and oversaw numerous productions and co-productions including “1900 House,” “Savage Seas,” “Savage Earth,” “Savage Planet” and “Innovation.”

Hoppe started in news with roles at WGBH where she was series producer of NOVA and directed “The Ten O’Clock News.” She began her career at New Hampshire Public Television where she directed and edited New Hampshire Journal, floor managed Granite State Challenge and ran camera for many productions including UNH Wildcat Hockey.

Her work has been recognized with several Emmy Awards. She won in 2004 for “DNA: The Human Race,” 2002 for “The Secret Life of the Brain” and 1995 for “NOVA, Siamese Twins.”

Hoppe serves on the board of the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers and frequently participates in panels at RealScreen, IDA, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and the New York Television Festival. She has served as a jury member for the Japan Prize and has been a judge of the News and Documentary Emmy Awards. She also has served on National Science Foundation grant review panels and has privately reviewed grants for other organizations, including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Hoppe earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of New Hampshire.

Speaking on: 30 Minutes With Beth Hoppe, ABC News

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