Programs/Content
After long wait, PBS stations can extend Passport and online video to Canadian viewers
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Some border stations have been losing Canadian members due to the lack of streaming access.
Obituaries
Native broadcaster Harlan McKosato dies at 54
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Often referred to as “the voice of Indian country,” McKosato brought Native issues into the light for a wide audience.
Programs/Content
Public media campaign on mental health launches with focus on youth
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WETA is partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Call to Mind and stations to provide training and produce content in 24 cities.
System/Policy
Report for America named finalist in $100M grant competition
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Six finalists are competing for the grant from the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change competition.
System/Policy
PBS programming returns to South Texas after two years without over-the-air service
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PBS started broadcasting national programming through a commercial station in the region June 30.
Programs/Content
Student-produced podcast from Michigan Radio aims to provide nuanced perspectives on Generation Z
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“Kids These Days” looks beyond stereotypes to focus on what teens “are thinking about, laughing about and stressing about.”
Obituaries
Lester Crystal, news executive who oversaw expansion of ‘PBS NewsHour,’ dies at 85
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As executive producer, Crystal directed launch of the first hourlong daily news program on U.S. television.
Programs/Content
Station town halls on racial justice go virtual amid coronavirus concerns
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With social distancing making in-person conversations difficult, stations are turning to online platforms to engage with audiences around issues of race and policing.
Development
Rock station documentary provides support for community radio stations during pandemic
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The film “WBCN and the American Revolution” is available for listeners to rent online, giving them a way to support local community radio stations while learning about their role in history.
Programs/Content
‘Downton Abbey’ pledge marathon boosts public TV’s June pledge drive
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With PBS rights to the drama expiring June 30, stations and viewers are making the most of the show’s fundraising farewell tour.
Programs/Content
WTVP plans launch of multicast channel for at-home learning
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The public TV station and local school system forged a partnership to improve at-home learning for students with limited internet access.
Programs/Content
Stations expand Spanish-language content to provide vital information about pandemic
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As Latino communities are hit by the coronavirus, pubmedia is striving to meet a need for coverage in Spanish.
Obituaries
Bill Pearce, public broadcasting ‘pioneer’ who built WXXI, dies at 95
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His involvement in TV productions included a series of interviews with U.S. presidents.
Programs/Content
Amid canceled graduations, pubmedia provides alternatives for seniors lacking ceremonies
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PBS Student Reporting Labs and Ohio’s WOUB have found ways to commemorate the rite of passage, even as students are forced to remain at home.
System/Policy
Battling lack of resources, Native stations provide lifeline with COVID coverage
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For some listeners, stations in tribal areas may be the only source for local news about the pandemic.
Programs/Content
With virtual proms, public radio stations give teens another shot at their big night
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As schools cancel high-school proms due to COVID-19 concerns, two public radio stations held online events to meet the need.
System/Policy
Climate advocacy group targets Duke Energy underwriting on WUNC
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NC WARN complained to the FCC about “misleading” sponsorship messages highlighting the utility provider’s commitments to clean energy.
Programs/Content
Exclusive Stanley Nelson film launches revamped World Channel presence on YouTube
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The channel’s new online strategy is aimed at becoming “a gateway to public media for young audiences.”
Programs/Content
Radio stations tap community voices for perspectives on housebound living
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Haiku and student contributions are capturing the pros and cons of social distancing.
Programs/Content
InsideClimate News organizes regional networks to spur reporting on climate change
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Public media newsrooms in the Southeast contributed to a series examining climate-change commitments of state and local governments.