AMY SHUMAKER, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF CONTENT AT WGCU PUBLIC MEDIA
GATEWAY WOMEN’S CLUB PRESENTED AMY SHUMAKER
STEPHANIE MENA
Amy Shumaker is Associate General Manager of Content for WGCU Public Media. In this role, she oversees the strategy, creation, and programming of content across radio, television, and digital platforms, ensuring WGCU delivers trusted, educational and informational content to the community.
Previously, Shumaker served as Executive Producer for national television at South Carolina ETV, where she developed and produced a wide range of acclaimed series, documentaries, and specials. She also co-created and executive produced a nationally distributed independent film series showcasing diverse nonfiction stories from across the American South. A co-founding member of Executive Content Managers (ECM), Shumaker also served for 15 years as the U.S. National Coordinator for the International Public Television (INPUT) Conference, connecting producers and broadcasters worldwide. Her work has been recognized with multiple regional Emmys, as well as prestigious national honors including a George Foster Peabody Award and a National Emmy Award.
At WGCU, Shumaker oversees television production, TV programming and WGCU’s FM and HD radio stations as well as digital content at WGCU Public Media, the PBS and NPR stations serving Southwest Florida. WGCU Public Media is owned by Florida Gulf Coast University providing PBS and NPR programming to Southwest Florida. It operates an FM station (90.1), an NPR radio station, and WGCU (channel 30), a PBS television station, offering educational and informational content. WGCU is supported by fundraising, membership and sponsorships. WGCU Public Media is Southwest Florida’s source for PBS and NPR and is a member-supported service of Florida Gulf Coast University. The productions serve all or part of 12 counties in south and Southwest Florida. WGCU’S mission is to: “Inspire, inform, educate, engage and entertain through the power of public media.” PBS Television and NPR Radio have been in the news recently since the U.S. House of Representatives cut federal funding for The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Resources already earmarked for 2026 and 2027 have been cut in Congress’ latest budget-trimming efforts. Between state and federal funding, about 18 percent of WGCU’s budget was cut. Smaller stations serving rural areas rely heavily on federal funding so some stations around the country may go dark.
As a nationally recognized leader in emergency communications, the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) delivers timely public safety information and emergency messaging to public radio and television stations across the state of Florida. FPREN reaches 99% of Florida’s population and stays on-air during public safety emergencies to broadcast real-time updates to provide critical severe weather, safety, and evacuation information to assist in protecting residents during storms, hurricanes and other emergency events. FPREN’s staff of meteorologists and content producers create content 24/7 for all media platforms – TV, radio and digital. Emergency information is also available on the Florida Storms mobile app.
For WGCU tours or volunteer opportunities, contact Amy Shumaker via email at: [email protected].
