Speaker: Paula Madison, President and General Manager of NBC4 (KNBC)

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Paula Madison is the President and General Manager of NBC4 (KNBC), NBC's owned and operated station in Los Angeles. Named to the position in November 2000, she is the first African American woman to become general manager at a network-owned station in a top five market. She was also named Regional General Manager for the three NBC/Telemundo television stations in Los Angeles (KNBC, KVEA and KWHY) when the NBC network purchased the Telemundo network in April 2002.

In addition to her duties as President and General Manager, Madison served as Vice President and Senior Vice President of Diversity for NBC from February 2000 to May 2002. In this capacity, she reported directly to network President Bob Wright and chaired the NBC Diversity Council, on which she continues as an active member.

Madison joined NBC4 from WNBC, NBC's station in New York, where she was the station's Vice President and News Director since March 1996. Under her direction, WNBC became the number one television station in New York in May 1999, and, later that year closed out the November sweeps finishing first in all local newscasts for the first time in 16 years. Madison came to NBC in 1989 as WNBC's assistant news director and was promoted to news director in March 1996.

A native of Harlem, New York, Madison is active in many organizations including the Los Angeles and National Association of Black Journalists and the Chinatown Service Center. She also serves on the Vassar College Board of Trustees as president of the 30,000 Alumni Association of Vassar College. She and her husband reside in Los Angeles and have one daughter, who is a third year medical student.