Richard Kilberg
Principal

An award-winning documentary filmmaker and television executive, Richard Kilberg served as president of Fred Friendly Seminars, Inc. from 1997 through 2012. During that period, Fred Friendly Seminars produced dozens of hours of programming for PBS as well as over 50 custom seminars for institutions, international organizations, government agencies and corporations in a wide range of industries.

Under his leadership, Fred Friendly Seminars was at the forefront in examining ethical, legal, economic and political challenges confronting our nation and the world over the last 15 years. From advances in technology to the threat of epidemics, the impact on journalism of new media paradigms and the changing nature of war, these and other urgent contemporary issues carry with them profound consequences for personal liberty, social justice, and democratic process.

"The tendency of television is to simplify, simplify, simplify, which results in poor understanding, bad decision-making, demonization of those with whom you disagree and a general retreat from involvement in the big, public issues of the day," says Kilberg, who found genius in the ability of the Socratic Dialogue format to open people's hearts and minds rather than making them more rigid or obdurate in the face of contentious issues. Sometimes even the program panelists are shocked to discover their capacity for empathy and consensus. When Congressman Barney Frank participated in a Seminar on the ethics of end-of-life medical care decisions, a panelist from an evangelical Christian organization exclaimed, "Why, I just can't believe that I agree with Barney Frank!" Kilberg recalls. Later in the series, it was Congressman Frank's turn to remark, "I can't believe how much I agree with Justice Scalia! That was a delicious moment, and why I find these programs so satisfying to produce," Kilberg says.

Prior to his work with Fred Friendly, Kilberg produced, directed and/or executive produced a variety of distinguished television programs. He has been twice nominated for an Academy Award for documentaries and is the recipient of the DuPont-Columbia Award, an Ohio State Journalism award, a Christopher Medal, "Best of Festivals" awards, and many other honors. His documentary work includes The Negro Ensemble Company, Adam Clayton Powell, Huey Long, and The Brooklyn Bridge. Kilberg has also been a programming and production executive at PBS, HBO and in the independent television production world.