FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                           
Nov. 13, 2026                                                                                                                   

David Crabtree to Retire as CEO and General Manager of PBS North Carolina 

Veteran newsman concludes distinguished 50-year career in broadcasting
 

David Crabtree, the veteran broadcast journalist who has served as chief executive officer and general manager of PBS North Carolina for the past four and a half years, will retire at the end of 2026.

Crabtree announced his retirement Friday, marking the conclusion of a tenure that began in April 2022, when he was named interim CEO, and continued with his appointment as permanent CEO in September of that year. During his leadership, PBS North Carolina undertook an organizational restructuring, strengthened its financial position and advanced a plan for the network’s future success.

Crabtree’s tenure has been defined by the challenge of preserving an essential public service during a period of unprecedented change in public media. Following the loss of $4.8 million in federal funding, Crabtree led a comprehensive restructuring of the organization in 2025. The effort was designed to align resources with available revenue, improve operational efficiency and establish a more sustainable foundation, without compromising the network’s commitment to quality programming and service to North Carolinians.

As a result of those efforts, PBS North Carolina enters 2027 with a balanced budget for the first time in more than five years.

At the same time, PBS North Carolina has significantly expanded its statewide presence. Earlier this week, the network reached an agreement to absorb WTVI, PBS Charlotte, extending its reach and strengthening its presence throughout the 13-county Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. The acquisition represents a milestone in the network’s evolution, bringing additional programming, production opportunities and regional perspectives from Charlotte to audiences across North Carolina. With the addition of PBS Charlotte, PBS North Carolina further solidifies its position as the third-largest PBS service area in the nation.

“David Crabtree has set PBS North Carolina on a sustainable course to thrive in the future,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “He has been steady and determined in his commitment to ensure that this treasured asset remains strong to benefit generations of North Carolinians. He is a passionate broadcaster, and I’m grateful for his service.”

“I have been blessed with an extraordinary 50-year career in broadcasting, but these past four and a half years have been among the most consequential and deeply rewarding of my professional life,” Crabtree said. “Leading PBS North Carolina has been both a privilege and a profound responsibility. Public media matters. It matters to the child discovering the joy of learning, to the family seeking trusted information, to the community whose stories deserve to be told, and to the North Carolinians who depend on us when severe weather threatens their safety.”

Before joining PBS North Carolina, Crabtree spent nearly three decades at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, where he served as a reporter and lead news anchor from 1994 to 2022. Over the course of his career, he became one of North Carolina’s most recognized broadcast journalists, covering the people, institutions and events that shaped the state and the nation.

His work earned 17 Emmy Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Regional Award, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and a Gabriel Award. The Radio Television News Directors Association named him Reporter of the Year four times, and the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters honored him with its Distinguished Service Award.

With his retirement announcement, Crabtree said he was especially proud of PBS NC staff. “Their resilience, creativity and commitment to our mission have carried this organization through considerable challenges,” he said. “Together, we have made difficult decisions, embraced new opportunities and begun building an organization positioned to serve North Carolina for generations to come.”

About PBS North Carolina
As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third largest public media market, PBS North Carolina educates, informs, entertains and inspires its audience on air, online and in person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, Rootle PBS KIDS channel, the Explorer Channel and the North Carolina Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS North Carolina’s infrastructure serves a vital role to support North Carolina’s state emergency services. To learn more about PBS North Carolina, visit pbsnc.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

- PBS NC -

Media Contact
Lauren Peress | press@pbsnc.org