National Association of Television Program Executives
The National Association of Television Program Executives is a professional association of television and media executives, established in 1963. It has operated as a non-profit organization.
NATPE organizes programs and events for its members on education, networking, and professional development. The organization has hosted an annual media conference attended by media industry professionals.
History
Program directors at U.S. television stations sought a forum to discuss and address challenges created by the Prime Time Access Rule. Encouraged by syndicated programming, salesmen and 64 program directors appointed Stan Cohen of WDSU New Orleans as temporary President.The first formal meeting of the National Association of Television Program Executives took place in May 1964 at the New York Hilton Hotel. During the first two-day meeting in New York, the topics of discussion included “The Network’s Relationship to Local Programming,” “Where Do You Find Talent?,” “Government’s Influence on Programming,” and “Successful Formats for Handling Politicians & Political Issues.”
Over the next 40 years, NATPE's membership grew from 64 to 210 by 1970, then to 1,206 in 1980, 1,818 in 1990, and peaked at 3,812 in January 2000. Membership and conference attendance declined sharply following the dot-com bust in 2001.
NATPE rebranded as NATPE Content First in 2010, aiming to attract new media professionals alongside its core television membership.
The NATPE Educational Foundation was established in 1978 to build connections among the television industry, academia, and students. It aims to prepare students for careers in television by offering hands-on learning opportunities for both them and their teachers. NATPE’s Educational Foundation, underwritten by membership fees and the support of sponsors and special endowments, provides a number of annual fellowships, grants, and prizes to the academic community. Lew Klein, one of the founders of NATPE and an early president of the organization, continued as president of the Educational foundation until his death in 2019.
In 2019, NATPE signed a partnership deal with China International Television Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television.
In October 2022, NATPE announced it would file for bankruptcy, stating that it was "optimistic that will emerge from the reorganization process in the same position." NATPE added that it still intended to hold its annual conference in January 2023 in the Bahamas, though the event was later cancelled.
In the resulting court-ordered bankruptcy auction, NATPE assets were acquired by Canadian company Brunico Communications.
From February 4 to 6, 2026, NATPE Global will be held at the InterContinental Miami, alongside the Realscreen Summit.