Programs/Content
How PBS can revive its pioneering spirit by embracing grassroots programming
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“As traditional broadcast gives way to new media, public television needs to dust off its early spirit of scrappy, decentralized innovation.”
Current (https://current.org/current-mentioned-sources/adizah-eghan/page/559/)
“As traditional broadcast gives way to new media, public television needs to dust off its early spirit of scrappy, decentralized innovation.”
The NPR board’s DEI and development committees met last week to discuss diversity data and digital fundraising.
“Understanding Impact,” a two-day symposium, will explore how public media organizations can measure and analyze the impact of their work. Convened by the Public Media Futures Forum and the Center for Investigative Reporting, the event is taking place at American University in Washington, D.C. Check out the schedule below. Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to offer a live stream of today’s proceedings. Please see CIR’s live blogging page for updates. Schedule
Thursday, April 17
10–10:30 a.m. — Welcome
Ed Beimfohr, Associate Dean, Operations & Strategic Initiatives, American University School of Communication
Mark Fuerst, Director, Public Media Futures Forums
Robert Rosenthal, The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR)
10:30–11:10 a.m. — CIR case study: Veterans Reporting
Amy Pyle, CIR
Aaron Glatz, CIR
Lindsay Green-Barber, Ph.D., ACLS Public Fellow, CIR
11:20 a.m. – 12 p.m. — A Theory of Community Impact
Amy Shaw, Sr. VP for Community Engagement, KETC/Nine Network, St.
Startup Internet TV service Aereo has launched a website to make its case to the public in advance of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing next week. The court’s ruling after Tuesday’s arguments could make or break the service, which allows subscribers to view and record television broadcast programs online. Broadcasters, including PBS and New York’s WNET, have sued Aereo, claiming the company is violating copyright law by converting broadcast signals to streaming video. Launched Thursday, Aereo’s website, ProtectMyAntenna.org, lays out the company’s case for why it should prevail and provides links to all court filings to date. The case before the Supreme Court, American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., et al., v. Aereo, Inc., stems from a pair of lawsuits brought by noncommercial broadcasters and commercial networks including ABC, CBS and NBC.
Plus: Tilda Swinton spins tunes at KCRW, and a StoryCorps too hot for NPR.
The Yale French professor based the WGBH soap-opera series off his own language-learning curriculum.
The federal government awarded funds to transmedia projects as well as traditional broadcast programs.
Canada’s public broadcasting network is eliminating 657 jobs after suffering cuts in federal funding and the loss of a broadcast license for National Hockey League games.
A new executive producer is joining PBS’s biography series American Masters as the former e.p., show creator Susan Lacy, embarks on a new career as an independent filmmaker.
As Pacifica Radio marked its 65th anniversary of broadcasting, foundation and station leaders are talking publicly about governance reforms that involve “decentralizing” control of its five stations. Pacifica National Board Chair Margy Wilkinson, who is battling for control of the Foundation with former executive director Summer Reese, discussed the proposal April 9 on KPFK-FM, the Pacifica station in Los Angeles. “There are real governance issues,” Wilkinson said during an appearance on the KPFK show Truthdig. “I think the way the foundation is put together does not make for a very highly functioning organization.”
Though she didn’t wade into specifics, Wilkinson called for “some decentralization and some greater autonomy at the local stations.”
“I see a role for Pacifica, but I think right now, the way national is functioning is not particularly helpful to the stations,” Wilkinson said. The proposal to reduce Pacifica’s control over local stations has support in Houston, where leaders of Pacifica’s KPFT have called for greater independence.
Plus: Hawaii Public Radio enjoys a pledge record, and Ken Burns recalls his early influences.
Public television’s March pledge drive raised $46.7 million for 146 local stations, an increase of 19.3 percent from last year’s spring fundraiser.