Three pubTV stations have applied to the FCC for a new class of translators that will help them fill in DTV coverage gaps in their service areas, according to Broadcasting & Cable. KNPB in Reno, Rocky Mountain Public Television in Denver and WTVI in Charlotte, N.C., are among 14 stations have submitted 20 applications for the translators. Eight others are asking for temporary translators.

Springfield, Ill., PBS affiliate WSEC is receiving about 20 calls a day since its channel was recently shifted from its usual spot on Comcast cable to a higher digital tier, according to The State Journal-Register newspaper. “You would have to pay for an upgrade — if you just have the basic service, even those who have a digital set can’t get us,” said Jerold Gruebel, station CEO. The channel’s move was made because of a 2005 agreement between the Association of Public Television Stations and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association which says that in cities with more than one PBS station, cable providers may designate one station as the “primary” and other stations as “secondary.”

Here’s an interesting arrangement: In Brevard County, Fla., the Florida Today newspaper will be providing regular weekday TV programs for PBS affiliate WBCC, owned by Brevard Community College. The two daily news shows will air at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. There’ll also be at least two prime-time specials each quarter focusing on local issues. “Television is a logical extension for us,” said Bob Stover, executive editor of the Gannett-owned daily paper. James Drake, president of the community college, said the deal “will enable us to fulfill our public broadcasting potential.” The school will pay the newspaper $25,000 a quarter for the shows.

The estate of Antiques Roadshow appraiser Richard Wright, who died March 1, will go up for auction in October, Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers has announced. Included will be Wright’s extensive collection of dolls and doll accessories, “one of the most prominent doll collections to be seen in the auction world for many years,” according to a statement from Skinner. Wright was considered a leading expert in doll appraisals.

Conservative website CNSNews (Motto: “The Right News. Right Now”) polled various members of Congress on this pressing question: Which better reflects American values–Fox’s American Idol or PBS? Most replies were, well, politically correct. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., said, “How about … none of the above. American Idol is very much a cultural phenomenon, and certainly there are more viewers of that than the PBS system, but I enjoy both of them.” A similar cop-out from Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va. “I have to leave that to everybody else to make their decision,” Forbes said. “I don’t think most people look to either American Idol or PBS broadcasting for all of their values.”

Colorado Public Radio has laid off Stephanie Wendt, a classical-music host based in Minnesota. A memo to the staff said the change “reflects our ongoing need to address Colorado Public Radio’s continued financial situation.” The station has been struggling; earlier this year its bond rating was downgraded, according to a Current story in March.

The Sponsorship Group for Public Television, a sales organization for producers, is now pitching to underwriters on kid’s shows including Arthur and Clifford to run spots for as short as a week, The New York Times is reporting. Current reported in October 2008 that pubcasters had been advocating for such a move; the Sponsorship Group had previously offered only yearlong sponsorships. “We’re trying to be more flexible,” Suzanne Zellner, veep for corporate sponsorships for WGBH, told the Times.

The late “happy trees” pubpainter Bob Ross is a very tough act to follow. But Anne Mimi Sammis is picking up the palette. And there’ll be guest-star artists! According to a press release, Love to Paint with Mimi is a 13-episode series to be available in HD and SD via satellite feed from NETA. Check out her website to see the painter and sculptor with Queen Elizabeth.

President Obama’s fiscal 2010 budget, delivered to Congress today, has targeted rural public broadcasting grants of $5 million for elimination. In a White House blog posting, Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote: “The USDA made these grants to support rural public broadcasting stations’ conversion to digital broadcasting. That transition is now almost complete.” Here is the president’s letter to Congress on the budget. CPB, PBS, NPR and APTS issued a joint statement this afternoon praising the president’s recommendation of $502 million for CPB. More on pubcasting’s budget requests in this February Current story.

After a 30-year run, Nightly Business Report co-anchor Paul Kangas is stepping down. WPBT, the PBS station in Miami that produces “Nightly Business Report,” plans to announce his departure today, according to The New York Times. His co-anchor, Susie Gharib, will continue on the program. Producers have begun a search for a replacement. “I’m not retiring,” Kangas said in a statement. “Business news is what I know and it’s what I am. So I plan to stay involved through speaking engagements, guest commentaries, television appearances and consultation. NBR has a fine nucleus of young talent that works hard to secure the tough interviews and tell the important stories.

Public Radio Exchange and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation are offering hour-long versions of Outfront, an award-winning CBC Radio series of personal essays that previously had been distributed as extended modules. Producers Neil Sandell and Marieke Meyer have created a package of six programs, combining the best works into thematic shows hosted by the CBC’s Natasha Fatah. There may be more CBC programming to come from PRX. In a news release, PRX describes the offer as a “content development project.”

Makers Quest 2.0 has unveiled the eight audio-centric new media projects that received backing to complete production by August. The Association of Independents in Radio, which is managing the CPB-backed initiative, paired each of the producers with public radio stations or networks that will “incubate” the projects for broadcast and other distribution. The initiative began last fall with a nomination round in which 30 independent producers were invited to submit proposals.

Alberto Ibarguen, former PBS chairman and now president of the Knight Foundation, testified on Capitol Hill today. The hearing, on the future of journalism, was before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. Ibarguen challenged lawmakers to consider that broadcast and print media could indeed join forces. “I think it is at least worth a fresh look under current circumstances to see if a resulting combination, perhaps combined with stronger use of new and social media, can help to survive traditional news operations that still have such great expertise in reporting,” his written testimony said. Read the full, expanded transcript of his remarks here.

The American Experience series “We Shall Remain” on Native American history has inspired a drive in Massachusetts to help residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, according to The Concord Journal. The Many Nations Trading Post in Concord, Mass., is collecting toys and clothing, and taking cash donations to ship the goods. “The reservations get overlooked and are almost invisible to people,” said Carole Ann Baer, heading up the effort. “It’s a spirit, a strong nation that has been broken, but they are still fighting for survival. That’s why the title of the PBS series is so poignant, it’s showing that the spirit of the people shall remain despite the poverty and hardship.”

PubTV stations Channel 13 and WLIW21 in New York are debuting new identification spots featuring music created by a Juilliard student. Have a listen here to the new tunes performed by the Juilliard orchestra.