WASHINGTON—America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) has hired Michelle Shanahan as the organization's General Counsel. Shanahan begins this role today.
As General Counsel, Shanahan will oversee the legal affairs of APTS, including leading the governance, regulatory, contracting, corporate compliance and nonprofit legal work of the organization. She will be responsible for the FCC work of APTS on behalf of its member stations, and will serve as corporate secretary.
Shanahan will also manage the telecommunications and spectrum issues and strategies of the organization, including the development of spectrum-related business and service opportunities with public media stations and industry partners.
Shanahan previously worked in NPR’s Office of the General Counsel for 25 years, most recently serving as Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of NPR and Secretary of the NPR Foundation. From November 2020 through February 2021, Shanahan served as NPR’s Acting General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary.
Upon her departure from NPR in 2022, NPR’s Board of Directors issued a resolution honoring her contributions, noting that her 25-year “tenure at NPR coincided with — and was instrumental to — a time of incredible growth for the organization, during which she used her formidable legal talents to help NPR embrace the digital opportunities of the 21st century and further cement its position as an internationally trusted source of news and programming.” Prior to joining NPR, Shanahan worked in private practice at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) and Cohn & Marks as a regulatory attorney representing broadcasters and other communications providers before the FCC.
“We are so pleased to welcome Michelle to America’s Public Television Stations,” said APTS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lonna Thompson. “She has decades of experience in nonprofit governance, technology law, digital privacy, content licensing and transactional negotiations. She will be a great asset to our stations on a broad variety of legal and regulatory issues arising in our media industry.”
“We are delighted that Michelle has joined America’s Public Television Stations,” said APTS president and CEO Patrick Butler. “Michelle brings an impressive background in public media to her new role as general counsel. Her decades of experience will be a valuable asset to our team,” Butler said, “and she will play an important role in inventing the future of America’s public television stations.”
“I am honored and thrilled to join the wonderful and talented team at APTS,” said Shanahan. “America’s public television stations provide unique and vital public service to their local communities. As a longtime fan of public television and advocate for public broadcasting, I look forward to working with APTS member stations to advance their essential missions and support their continued excellence and growth.”
