The Conversation: PBS President Paula Kerger on replacing Charlie Rose, keeping Ken Burns and streaming

CRYSTAL CITY, Va. - Paula Kerger has visited 49 states since she took over as president and chief executive of PBS in 2006. And after all those miles and new studio ribbon cuttings, it's the words of a farmer who drove five hours to see her during a visit in Lincoln, Neb., that stands out most in her mind. The traveler told her that PBS was vital to him while growing up in rural America and that he expected it to be there for his children as well.

"He wanted me to remember his face and wanted to tell me not to mess it up," Kerger recalls during a recent chat in her office in Crystal City, Va.

So far, so good.