PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger responded to criticism of the public television network’s “overreliance” on Ken Burns as “America’s Filmmaker,” asserting that PBS’s longstanding relationship with the documentarian does not come at the expense of other diverse voices.
“We create lots of opportunities for many filmmakers,” Kerger told reporters during a Television Critics Association panel on Tuesday. “Ken himself … mentors a number of filmmakers who now have quite established careers have all come up through his shop, and he has a deep commitment to mentoring diverse filmmakers.”
Kerger’s comments came in response to a question about an essay published by documentary filmmaker Grace Lee in Current last October.