Mullins ready for challenges at WVPT

Story by Chris Graham

David Mullins was ready to take a step up.
“Through my career, I have felt that every step of the way was leading me to the position at some point of leading a company, leading a public-television station, and at WVPT, the opportunity was there,” said Mullins, who was named last week to take over as president and general manager of the Harrisonburg-based WVPT-Virginia’s Public Television.

Mullins will assume the duties at WVPT next month. He will come to the Shenandoah Valley from WPBT in Miami, Fla., where he is currently the vice president of marketing.

Mullins has been at WPBT since 1988.

He faces a significant challenge at the start of his tenure at WVPT – which recently cut several positions from its production staff due to financial constraints.

“Financial issues and challenges are across the board with every nonprofit and every public-television station, large and small,” Mullins said. “The most current and interim management team and board of directors and staff have really put together at this point what is a very strong and attainable budget for the station to operate under for the coming year.

“Our plans will be to reach out to the communities that we serve with the great programs that of course we always bring – and that the local projects that are currently in production, I hope that we can develop ways to not only produce new and exciting local television programs, but also reach out into the community and provide services both online and through other community resources and community-outreach events, and of course our educational component to what WVPT is to the communities that we serve,” Mullins said.

Chris Graham is the executive editor of The Augusta Free Press.