Author: Dru Sefton
Dru Sefton covers public television and CPB for Current. She has more than 30 years of experience working at daily newspapers including USA Today as well as Newhouse News Service, a Washington, D.C.–based wire service. When she’s not breaking pubmedia news, Dru enjoys being Current’s official staff baker.
KET to partner with university for 2013 International Space Station chat
Kentucky Educational Television is partnering with Eastern Kentucky University as it offers students a chance to speak with astronauts aboard the International ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 11, 2012First-time pubTV sponsor Ralph Lauren signs on with Masterpiece
Masterpiece has a new national corporate sponsor, Ralph Lauren. It’s the first time the American design firm is underwriting a pubTV program. Sponsorship ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 11, 2012FCC chair hopes to complete spectrum auctions by end of 2014
The FCC is circulating internally its framework for upcoming spectrum auctions, with a vote on the recommendations expected at its Sept. 28 ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 11, 2012Tampa’s WUSF acquires nonprofit online site Health News Florida
WUSF Public Media in Tampa, Fla., has acquired Health News Florida, an online nonprofit daily news service that covers health issues statewide, ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 11, 2012APTS, NPR to assume management of 170 Million Americans outreach
The Association of Public Television Stations and NPR have assumed co-management of the 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting website, which organizes ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 11, 2012OPB reporter’s question to Ira Glass worth $101
Did you hear the one about how This American Life host Ira Glass gave an Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter $101 for asking him a ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 10, 2012PBS taps BBC’s Midwife to boost Sunday viewership
PBS’s yearlong effort to build more audience flow in its primetime schedule moves into new territory with the Sept. 30 U.S. broadcast ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 10, 2012ITVS prepares for beta tests of enhanced OVEE
An infusion of CPB funding is allowing the Independent Television Service to add more features to OVEE, the online engagement tool that ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 10, 2012WTTW joins Digital Convergence Alliance centralcast project
Chicago’s WTTW said today (Sept. 7) that it has signed on as a founding member of the Digital Convergence Alliance, the multi-station ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 7, 2012KCET’s “SoCal Connected” moving to nightly broadcast
SoCal Connected, KCET’s investigative news program, is moving to a weeknight format for its fifth season, beginning Oct. 29. “We will continue to investigate ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 7, 2012WBEZ transforms “Eight Forty-Eight” into “Morning Shift”
Chicago’s WBEZ is revamping its flagship newsmagazine, Eight Forty-Eight, into The Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia, reports Time Out Chicago media critic Robert Feder. It’ll also start 10 ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 7, 2012“In The Life,” television’s first LGBT newsmag, ending in December
In The Life, the first and only nationally broadcast lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newsmagazine, is going off the air in December, after ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 6, 2012Vanity Fair crowns Masterpiece’s Eaton one of “The Powers That Be”
Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of Masterpiece, is a new entry to Vanity Fair’s annual “The Powers That Be” list, squeaking in at No. 24 on ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 6, 2012Knight announces $3.67 million in Community Information Challenge grants
Twenty local news projects backed by foundations were awarded $3.67 million in matching funds today (Sept. 5) as winners of the Knight ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 5, 2012NPR selects ‘Izzi’ Smith as director of programming
Israel “Izzi” Smith will be the new director of programming at NPR, starting in November. He replaces Eric Nuzum, now vice president ...By Dru SeftonSeptember 5, 2012