BOB CHITESTER
Executive Producer

Bob Chitester has more than forty years experience in television management, program development and production. He is the founder, President and CEO of Free To Choose Media, izzit.org (formerly In the Classroom Media) and The Idea Channel; operating divisions of the Free To Choose Network, a 501-c-3 public foundation. He founded and is CEO of Chitester Creative Associates, a private television production company.

Chitester conceived and led the development of Free To Choose, Milton Friedman’s award winning PBS television series and the best selling book derived from the series. Chitester manages licensing and sales of Free To Choose.

Creatively, Bob also serves as Executive Producer of programs and series for Free To Choose Media, most recently for the PBS special; The Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman, and The Ultimate Resource, featured on HDNet and to be scheduled on PBS stations throughout the 07-08 season. In development under his direction are TV series and videos featuring Secretary of State George Shultz, Peruvian economist Hernando DeSoto, Swedish author Johan Norberg and TV star Scott Bakula.

Chitester holds a B.A. and M.A. degree from the University of Michigan, and received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Allegheny College. He pursues physical fitness (running, swimming, biking) with gusto, indulges in wood and clay sculpture, cuts several cord of fire wood each year, and spends considerable time in airplanes. He and Carol have 4 children and 8 grandchildren, one of whom they are raising.

TOM SKINNER
Executive Producer

Tom Skinner is Executive Producer of all Free To Choose Media productions.

Tom is an award winning television and film Executive Producer, most notably of the National Geographic Specials. He is an experienced innovator and administrator with a solid academic background and extensive national and international production credentials in public and commercial television.

From 1970 through 1993 Tom Skinner served as Vice President, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer of QED Communications, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1993, he left to pursue opportunities in independent production.

Prior to his tenure at QED Communications, Tom was Assistant Manager at WITF-TV in Hershey, Pennsylvania and Associate Professor of Radio and Television and Executive Producer at San Diego State University. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including four national Emmy Awards, two George Foster Peabody Awards, a Columbia/Dupont Award and an Academy Award. 

Tom holds a BA degree in Speech and Education from the State University of New York, Fredonia; an MA in Communications from The University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Communications and Theatre from The University of Michigan. He and his wife Beth have three children and six grandchildren.

ROGER BROWN
Producer, Writer

Roger Brown is the Producer/Writer for The Power of the Poor with Hernando de Soto, a two-hour documentary project featuring economist and property rights activist, Hernando de Soto of Peru.  Roger holds a Masters degree from Northwestern University and is a 20-year veteran of documentary and specialty film/videotape production.  Roger has been the Producer/Writer for eighteen individual films for the National Geographic Society, several segments for Discovery Health and the Discovery prime time special The Secret World of Air Freight.  His corporate clients, for which he has produced many hours of custom visual material, have included the National Safety Council, The Field Museum in Chicago, the Puerto Rico National Parks and McDonalds Restaurants among others.