Larry D. Unger, president and chief executive officer of Maryland Public Television (MPT), will retire from the statewide public television network effective June 30, 2025.
The fifth president in the more than five-decade history of MPT, Unger joined the network in 1997, serving initially as vice president for administration and finance, chief financial officer, and, later, as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He was named president and CEO in 2011.
During the Owings Mills resident’s 27-year tenure at MPT, Unger successfully advocated legislatively for independent salary authority and a new funding formula that protects MPT’s financial picture and state appropriations well into the future. He oversaw technological advances such as the conversion from analog to digital broadcasting, the introduction of four MPT channels, and the network’s response last decade to TV channel repacking and spectrum auction developments.
Other accomplishments include his oversight of MPT’s $9 million Irene and Edward H. Kaplan Production Studio expansion project, the four-year MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans initiative, the network’s first multi-year fundraising campaign that brought $12.5 million into MPT Foundation coffers, and recent launches of the Center for Maryland History Films and the Maryland Center for Media Literacy & Education.
Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission Chair Edward H. Kaplan appointed the commission’s vice chair, Richard Bodorff, as chair of a search committee, which will conduct a national search for MPT’s next chief executive beginning in January.
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 its Maryland Center for Media Literacy and Education 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.
