Becton to step down at WGBH; Abbott will take over at PBS powerhouse

WGBH president Henry Becton Jr., who presided over the growth of Boston's public television station into one of the nation's television production powerhouses, will step down from his post in October, passing the reins to WGBH vice president Jon Abbott.

The move comes at at time of change for WGBH, which is expanding its digital programming, struggling to attract corporate underwriting, and moving, next spring, into a vast new complex in Brighton.

Becton, 63, has led the station for nearly 30 years, presiding over the growth of some of public television's most iconic programs, from Julia Child's "The French Chef" to "This Old House" to "Frontline," "Masterpiece Theatre," and the children's show "Arthur."

But some say his greatest legacy, undergirded by his influence in the public television arena, is standing up to political pressures that have threatened some of WGBH's programs. Most recently, in January 2005, Becton defied both PBS and US Education Secretary Margaret Spellings over an episode of the children's show "Postcards from Buster," which featured a lesbian couple.

After Spellings condemned the show, PBS ordered that it be pulled from the public television schedule. WGBH, under Becton's direction, aired the show locally and made it available to stations across the country, many of which chose to run it.

"Ultimately, you stand up to the pressure and let the chips fall where they may," Becton said today. "I've managed to see that at the end of the day, we do all right with that."
(By Joanna Weiss, Globe staff)