Local PBS/NPR stations name new general manager

September 10, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — North Central Florida’s public broadcasting stations, WUFT-TV/DT and WUFT/WJUF-FM, have named a new general manager: Larry Dankner, who has served as their interim general manager since January 2007.Dankner has deep roots at WUFT. For 14 years, he was the local PBS and NPR stations’ director of finance and administration, setting endowments currently valued at $1,289,012 for television and $792,425 for radio.John Wright, dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, which owns and houses the stations, praised Dankner’s national public broadcasting involvement, including his 10 years on the Public Broadcasting Management Association board of directors.

“Larry was a member of a three-person team working with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to develop benchmarks and uncover best practices within the industry,” Wright said.

In its 50th year, WUFT-TV offers digital and high-definition signals on 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3.

WUFT/WJUF-FM, which are celebrating 27 and 13 years respectively, offer hybrid-digital signals via 89.1 FM and 90.1 FM. Dankner, who replaced longtime WUFT General Manager Rick Lehner, also runs UF’s commercial radio stations, WRUF-AM/FM (AM 850 and Rock 104).

A graduate of the UF Fisher School of Accounting, Dankner serves on the Florida Association of Broadcasters board of directors and the Florida Public Broadcasting Service board. He’s spoken about accounting and management in numerous public broadcasting conferences.

The college is a national leader in the professional education of future journalists and other communication practitioners. It offers undergraduate programs in advertising, print and broadcast journalism, public relations, and telecommunication production and operations; and graduate programs in science/health communication, media law, political communication, international communication and documentary filmmaking.