Maryland Public Television (MPT) today announced that Steven J. Schupak, a member of MPT’s executive team since 2003, has been named station manager for the statewide public television network. MPT operates four broadcast channels, is a producer of local and national content, streams content over a variety of digital and social platforms, and is the 10th largest in revenue among some 150 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member stations.

Schupak has served as MPT’s chief operating officer since 2014. The promotion to station manager recognizes an expansion of his planning, content, operations, and financial oversight responsibilities, his leadership in expanding MPT’s position as a digital content provider, as well as his additional institutional and public-facing duties.

Schupak also recently created the business plan, launched, and now heads a new division within MPT called the Maryland State Ad Agency (MSAA). The new entity is dedicated to creating and executing advertising campaigns for state agencies. Recent MSAA campaigns have addressed the 2020 Census, COVID-19, and the opioid addiction crisis.

During Schupak’s tenure at MPT, the network has earned numerous television industry honors for its productions including Chesapeake Bay Week®, Maryland Vietnam War Stories, Outdoors Maryland, Maryland Farm & Harvest, Star-Spangled Spectacular: The Bicentennial of our National Anthem, Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke, and MotorWeek. Included among MPT’s regional Emmy® Awards in recent years are the Overall Excellence award, earned in 2017, and the Community Service award, presented to MPT in 2017 in recognition of its MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans initiative and in 2018 for its Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery documentary.

In November 2020, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter inducted Schupak into its prestigious Silver Circle. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the broadcast or cable industry for 25 years or more.

Prior to joining MPT, Schupak served as vice president at Henninger Media Services, a Virginia-based media company, running the firm's TV production and distribution group. He launched his television career in the 1980s as a member of the production staff at the ABC Television Network.

Schupak is an alumnus of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in film and television. He holds a master’s degree in marketing from the Graduate School of Management & Technology at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) and was honored with that school’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2019, the highest alumni award bestowed at UMGC. Schupak is also a 2019 Leadership Maryland graduate.

About Maryland Public Television

Maryland Public Television (MPT) is a statewide, public-supported TV network and Public Broadcasting Service member offering entertaining, educational, and inspiring content delivered by traditional broadcasting and streaming on TVs, computers, and mobile devices. A state agency, it operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission. MPT creates local, regional, and national content and is a frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards. MPT’s commitment to educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through instructional events and Thinkport.org. MPT’s year-round community engagement activities connect viewers with resources on a wide range of topics. For more information visit mpt.org.