James TannerJames Tanner chosen WTCI board chair
James F. Tanner has been was named chair of the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corp., the governing board that holds the FCC license and oversees operations of Chattanooga’s PBS affiliate station, WTCI-TV. His term began July 1, 2021. The Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation holds the FCC license to operate and govern WTCI-TV PBS, Chattanooga’s public television station.
Joining Tanner on the 2021-2022 Executive Committee are Daniel Fell as vice-chair; Cole Powell as treasurer; Meredith Perry as interim secretary; Steve Gatlin, the past chair, and directors Bonnie Hathcock, Kerry Hayes and Edna Varner, along with station CEO Bob Culkeen.
Jim Tanner was raised in Ringgold, Georgia, and now lives in Chattanooga, where he currently works as a faculty member of the Department of Communication at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Prior to his current position, Tanner spent 14 years as a journalist at the Chattanooga Times Free Press and four years as deputy director of communications and marketing at The McCallie School. He is a graduate of Oxford College of Emory University with an AA in Liberal Arts, UTC with a BS in Political Science, and the University of Southern California with a Masters of Communications Management.
Tanner was appointed to WTCI’s board in 2019 and has served on the executive committee in 2020-21.