Introducing Carol Yancho, new Senior Director of Content

Carol Yancho, a leader in media, broadcast and content creation, has been selected to fill the senior director of content position at Arizona PBS. Selected following a national search, Yancho’s tenure at the station began Monday, August 12.

A six-time Michigan Regional Emmy® Award winner, we sat down with Yancho to learn more about her experience and to give our readers a sense of the person behind the position.

AZPBS: As you prepare to relocate to Arizona, is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to experiencing in the Grand Canyon State?

CY: I’m ready to explore everything and to embrace a new adventure living in the Southwest! Tops on the list though will be a trip to the Grand Canyon, which I’ve never been able to visit. In fact, I had never been to Arizona before I came to Phoenix to interview. As someone who loves to travel and experience different cultures and traditions, I’m looking forward to learning all about Phoenix and all this great state has to offer.

AZPBS: You’ve spent the last eight years creating content at WKAR, the PBS station operated by Michigan State University. What about this opportunity to lead the Content team at Arizona PBS excites you the most?

CY: In the eight years I’ve been at WKAR, I’ve been able to develop and create award-winning content in various genres and across broadcast and digital platforms. The mission of public media is to produce programming that resonates with and serves the local community, while often having relevance to viewers nationwide.

By working with local and national partners at WKAR, both in and out of the public media ecosystem, I’ve learned best practices to lead and follow through in the creation of content that meets audiences where they are no matter how they’re watching. This position is an opportunity to share what I’ve learned from those experiences with a team of talented production professionals who know and understand what stories and types of programming Arizonans want and need. Can’t wait to get started!

AZPBS: Beyond your eight-year stint at WKAR, your resume features a wide variety of experience and stops at media outlets of all types. As you considered this opportunity at Arizona PBS, was staying in public media a priority? If so, why?

CY: Having worked in commercial production for many years, I was very accustomed to a fast-paced, demanding and hard-deadline driven environment where high ratings and advertising dollars were the goal for networks. Ratings are of course important for public media stations, but the content must also serve a greater purpose. For the past six years, I produced WKAR’s original kids’ science program “Curious Crew.” That show is going into its 11th season and has featured more than 300 kid cast members. Some of those kids started on the show at 9 or 10 years old and were cast members for 7, 8, 9 seasons!

So many of their parents, and the kids, have expressed how meaningful and fun the experience was for them. The program has had such a huge imprint in the greater Lansing, Michigan, community that we get up to 200 kids auditioning each year. The casting call has really become a “community event” that families look forward to.

Having that kind of impact and building those kinds of connections wasn’t something that I really got to experience up close and personal in that way before working in public media. Being part of it has made me incredibly passionate about the broader mission of PBS and public media, so yes, it was a priority for me to find a position where I could continue contributing to those efforts in an even bigger way.

AZPBS: Relocating from Michigan to Arizona, you’re seemingly trading one battleground state for another. With a big election coming up in November, how important are local PBS stations’ news and public affairs efforts?

CY: As I mentioned, the core mission of public media is to serve the public. One fundamental way for us to do that is to provide factual reporting that encompasses a wide range of voices with thoughtful analysis. There is so much disinformation out there, and we must do our part to help inform viewers as they decide what candidates and issues they will support. That’s not just for the presidential election, but for the local and statewide races and ballot proposals that will impact citizens in their communities.

It’s also important for all media to encourage courteous and civil discourse when debating issues and to challenge misleading statements and information. PBS and public media news outlets are committed to that, and I want all Arizonans to know and believe it.

AZPBS: As you know, content creation requires many different elements and contributions from a number of talented people. If you had to name the most important ingredient in producing high-quality content, what would that be?

CY: Storytelling. As a producer, it is imperative to have strong story “arc” and to always ask yourself, “What is the payoff for the viewer?” Content creation should be as varied as the audiences it serves, but the story itself is key no matter what platform.

AZPBS: On a lighter note, what’s the best concert you’ve ever attended?

CY: This is a toughie. Pearl Jam and U2 were fantastic, and I always enjoyed the Allman Brothers Band and Jimmy Buffett concerts I went to with friends (yes, I am somewhat of a Parrothead!). But I’d have to say the best concert I’ve been to for sheer performance sake was Tom Petty at an outdoor amphitheater in metro Detroit. He played every one of his hit songs, the sets were stellar and he was super engaged with the crowd.

AZPBS: What’s the last television series you binge watched?

CY: “The Bear.” The storytelling and cinematography are phenomenal. Also, my boyfriend lives in Chicago, and we love how the city is featured; it’s essentially another character in the show. We’re constantly seeing places we go to or know of!

AZPBS: If you had to name one bucket list travel destination, what would that be?

CY: I love to travel, especially internationally, and the one place I haven’t been able to get to yet is Slovakia. I’m half Czech and half Slovak and have always been interested in my family history and genealogy.

Several years ago, I traveled to Prague as well as the village of Tabor in the Czech Republic, where my mother’s grandparents were from. I absolutely loved it! It’s been a longtime goal of mine to also go to Slovakia and visit the villages where my father’s parents were born. My grandfather came to the United States in 1895, and seeing his homeland would be so special to me. I’d love to be on “Finding Your Roots!”

AZPBS: What’s your favorite PBS show?

CY: When it comes to PBS shows, I’d say I love a little bit of everything! A few years ago I got into “Death in Paradise,” and I’ve actually looked into traveling to Guadalupe, the island where they film. Since I’m a history buff, I’m a big fan of “Antiques Roadshow” and “Finding Your Roots.” I’ve worked in partnership with GBH on digital content for “NOVA,” and their programming is always so fascinating and educational. Most of all, I love all the exceptional documentary programming on PBS, like “Independent Lens,” “POV,” “American Masters” and of course, Ken Burns’ docs.