Anthony "Tony" is a dynamic executive and Emmy-winning producer who excels at the convergence of media, technology, and business. His unique blend of storytelling prowess, technical innovation, and strategic financial oversight has been instrumental in transforming creative ideas into impactful content. His work has captivated audiences across multiple platforms and generated millions of views.
As a leader, Tony's journey at KVCR Public Media began as a television producer and post-production consultant. It evolved into the role of Director of Operations for the PBS | NPR station and First Nations Experience (FNX), the only national TV network dedicated to Native American and World Indigenous content. He led a $16 million station remodel, delivering it on time and $170,000 under budget. His leadership was instrumental in spearheading KVCR's transition into the digital era through digital monetization and launching a community calendar, mobile app, VOD and live streaming solutions, podcasting partnerships, social media, and website upgrades. Additionally, efficiency was increased by implementing new station reporting workflows, accounting, budgetary and underwriting tracking, and cloud-based content creation tools His innovative programming included 21st Century Dialogues, IE Latino Voices, and Inland Edition, showcasing his ability to foster conversations on contemporary issues and distribute content across multiple platforms. In Fiscal 2022, he demonstrated his resourcefulness by securing a $1.4 million educational grant to produce the 56th Annual Public Media Award Winner - Learn with Me, a bilingual children's animated television series for Pre-K to 3rd grade. With a strong focus on financial strategy, he identified $2.8 million in station budgetary cost savings in Fy20 & Fy21, oversaw multi-year forecasting and cash-flow management, and created, on average, a yearly $8 million global budget in Fiscal years 21-'24 for TV, Radio, FNX, a nonprofit foundation, and an average of 28 restricted or grant-funded programs per year.
Before KVCR, Tony contributed as an assistant editor/media manager on National Geographic's documentary film Science Fair, which won a National Emmy®, and collaborated with SoulPancake to oversee the technical delivery of television content to Disney Television and its ABC digital unit. For LightWorkers Media, within the parent company of MGM, he created social media content for the website launch. As producer and editor of The Terry Kath Experience, he premiered the feature documentary at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, securing worldwide distribution through FilmRise. Tony's diverse production experience spans over 200 projects. He has balanced creative and budgetary for high-profile clients, including MTV, Sony, Honda Music, Uproxx Media, Vogue Italia, and Vanity Fair. Among his notable campaigns was producing and working on an ad campaign with Robert Evans for Oliver Peoples, filmed at the legendary Hollywood icon's estate.
Earlier in his career, Tony showcased his entrepreneurial skills at LA startup Dental Advantage, where, as Marketing Manager, he engineered a CRM software solution to facilitate monthly communication with a community of over 100,000 dentists. His strategic efforts helped secure nearly $900,000 in sponsorship and membership sales in a quarter. He later became Employee No. Three at CarsDirect.com, an Idealab eCommerce company, he played a pivotal role as VP of Web Development, where he co-created the business plan, led engineering and content teams, and contributed to the company's successful $350 million Series C funding round.
A recent participant of the PBS Executive Leadership program at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Tony holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California Lutheran University. When he's not immersed in media and business strategy, you'll find him hiking, running, or camping in the mountains. He's already checked whitewater rafting in Costa Rica off his bucket list. However, he still dreams of enjoying orecchiette with broccoli rabe in Volturara Appula, Italy—the hometown of his great-grandparents.