Maryland Public Television Executive Vice President and Station Manager Steven J. Schupak has been named to The Daily Record’s 2024 list of Influential Marylanders. Schupak was among 57 individuals honored by the publication during a September 18 celebration event at The Grand Lodge in Cockeysville.
Honorees were chosen by editors at The Daily Record for their significant contributions to their respective fields and for their leadership in Maryland in the following areas: civic leadership, communications, education, finance, freestyle, general business, health care, law, philanthropy, real estate and technology. Schupak is among five leaders in the communications category selected for the honor.
“The 2024 Influential Marylanders are accomplished leaders who demonstrate vision and innovation. What they focus their attention on really matters; what they say is important; and what they do makes a difference for many of us in Maryland and beyond,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/The Daily Record. “We are honored to recognize their many accomplishments.”
Schupak, a Potomac, Maryland resident, joined MPT’s executive team as chief content officer in 2003 after a two-decade career in commercial television and media. He served as MPT’s chief operating officer from 2014 until 2021 when he was named station manager. The promotion to station manager recognized the expansion of his planning, content, operations, and financial oversight responsibilities, and his leadership in growing MPT’s position as a digital content provider.
During his tenure at MPT and his oversight of content creation, the network has earned numerous broadcast industry awards. Among them are honors for its annual Chesapeake Bay Week® programming, an initiative that he created in 2005, and recognition for national TV productions such as Star Spangled Spectacular: The Bicentennial of our National Anthem. Among the many regional Emmy® Awards during Schupak’s time at MPT are the 2017 Overall Station Excellence award and a pair of Community Service awards, presented both in 2017 in recognition of the statewide public TV network’s MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans initiative and in 2018 for its Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery documentary.
Added to Schupak’s list of accomplishments is his creation in 2017 of the Maryland State Ad Agency (MSAA), a division of MPT. MSAA provides full-service advertising, marketing, communications, and media buying services to support Maryland state agencies’ communications campaigns.
His cumulative efforts have helped build MPT into one of the nation’s top PBS-producing stations and the sixth-largest in total revenue among the 150 PBS member stations (and the largest in total revenue among state licensees).
Schupak is a Tisch School of the Arts at New York University alumnus 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 the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2019, the highest alumni award bestowed at UMGC.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter inducted Schupak into its prestigious Silver Circle in 2020 in recognition of contributions to the broadcast industry for 25 years or more. In 2023, he was recognized with the Mendez Award by the Maryland International Film Festival for professional excellence and significant contributions to the television industry.
Schupak is a member of the board of directors of the National Educational Telecommunications Association. He is also vice chairman and a member of the board of directors of Olney Theatre Center and a 2019 graduate of Leadership Maryland.
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 and distributes 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.
