A Sony executive is teaching a class at WSU … from Japan. His students get to hear from corporate leaders from the National Football League, Harrah’s Entertainment, Concerts West, the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (UK), and Warner Bros. Studios.
This who’s who of corporate insight was arranged by Kenji Kitatani, the 2005–2007 Les Smith Distinguished Professor in Media Management at WSU’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. He is teaching — and inviting his corporate colleagues to co-teach, via videoconferencing — Broadcasting 475: Entertainment and Corporate Communication Management.
“Dr. Kitatani and the Broadcasting 475 class are truly amazing,” said senior communication major Steve Thorpe. “I know my classmates and myself are benefiting from the years of experience of Dr. Kitatani and his guest lecturers.”
Kitatani is executive adviser at Sony and a board director at PIA Corporation (an equivalent of Ticketmaster in Japan), just two of his professional ventures.
“I accepted the Les Smith Distinguished Professorship because I wanted to share my wide range of experience in the media and entertainment industry with students and wanted to provide assistance in placing them in mainstream business organizations,” he said.
Kitatani received his B.A. in communication from WSU and his M.A. and Ph.D. in communications policy, management and law from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He returned to WSU as assistant professor from 1980–82.
In 1998, Kitatani established an endowment scholarship fund for the School of Communication. He has donated 100 percent of his salary from the Les Smith Distinguished Professorship to the school.
“The Murrow School is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Kitatani accept the Les Smith Distinguished Professorship in Media Management,” said Alex Tan, director, Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. “Students are the beneficiaries — their education is enriched immeasurably.”
