Sylvia McDaniel is leaving Portland Commmunity Media. The nonprofit announced her departure this weekend in a press release and email. The announcement said McDaniel --- executive director since July, 2008 -- wished to pursue other opportunities in broadcasting.
Under McDaniel, PCM became less of a traditional community access television station and more a media nonprofit with a mission to reach out into Portland's underserved communities. She was praised for her vision and commitment to bridging the digital divide. At the same time she oversaw numerous staff departures and internal changes that drew ire from some producers and longtime supporters of the program.
Board president Jo Ann Bowman said in the statement, "The vision that Sylvia helped us develop hasn't changed, but the political and economic landscape has. Our challenge - and our opportunity - is fine tuning our strategy so we can reach more community members with an expanded menu of services that includes leading edge technologies within the limits of the current economic realities."
Cece Hughley Noel, former executive director of Southeast Uplift, will become interim executive director. She has been chief operating officer since January.
