Neal B. Shapiro

Notable work and positions

The WNET Group — President and Chief Executive Officer (2007– ); announced retirement effective 2026
NBC News — Former President (2001–2005)
Dateline NBC — Former Executive Producer (1993–2001)

Biography

Neal B. Shapiro, born March 9, 1958, has served as president and CEO of The WNET Group, parent of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW and the network NJ PBS, since February 2007. In January 2026, WNET announced Shapiro would retire at the end of his contract that year, transitioning to a president emeritus role focused on fundraising after a successor is named. He began his career with 13 years at ABC News as a producer for PrimeTime Live, Nightline, and World News Tonight. In 1993 he became executive producer of Dateline NBC, expanding it into a multi-night primetime newsmagazine, and in May 2001 was named president of NBC News, overseeing Today, NBC Nightly News, and Meet the Press and the transition between anchors Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams, until his departure in September 2005. At WNET, he has overseen the network's expansion into a multiplatform media company, the creation of the ALL ARTS arts portal, and the acquisition of New Jersey's public television network, rebranded as NJ PBS. He has won 32 Emmy Awards, 31 Edward R. Murrow Awards, and 3 Columbia DuPont Awards over his career, and serves on the boards of PBS, TEGNA, American Documentary, and the Institute for Nonprofit News. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University and has taught at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.