No, PBS didn’t give each writer at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour a mini-pie like HBO did. But at least one critic was more impressed with the network’s actual programming. Todd VanDerWerff writes in today’s (Jan. 10) AV Club that “the kind of arts, news, and science programming PBS offers just doesn’t pop up anywhere else. What other network would air Frontline? Or Great Performances? Or Nova?” PBS also featured “fascinating people” on its panels. “Some biologists let us know why it was totally cool for them to get within a few feet of grizzly bears,” he writes, “and tried to help a TCA member figure out how to deal with the bear that makes trouble in her backyard.”

In an editor’s note on NPR.org, Dick Meyer, executive editor of NPR News, said the network committed a “serious and grave error” when it reported that U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had been shot to death in Tucson, Ariz. In its 2:01 p.m. Eastern broadcast on Saturday (Jan. 8), NPR informed listeners that Giffords was dead. That erroneous news also was posted on NPR.org, and sent as an e-mail news alert to subscribers. But Giffords had survived the shooting, which happened at a mall during a public appearance, and remained hospitalized Sunday night in critical condition after neurosurgery. “The information we reported came from two different governmental sources, including a source in the Pima County Sheriff’s Department,” Meyer said.

Emphasizing its non-ideological news coverage, PBS Newshour tried out a new catch phrase Jan. 9 during the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena: “Brave enough not to take sides, strong enough not to shout.” “We haven’t actually used it before today and we thought it might be a good opportunity to kind of roll that out,” said Simon Marks, president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. Marks said that slogan survived scrutiny while others didn’t. “At one point, we were looking at ‘The original no-spin zone,’ but we decided not to go there.” The new phrase is intended to emphasize the difference between PBS news values and those of other news operations.

Now, fans of Masterpiece can become part of the series that’s celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. They can join a special trust to help directly fund the program, or literally retrace the footsteps of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and other characters. Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton (right, PBS photo) announced yesterday (Jan. 8) at the TV Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., that a “Masterpiece Trust” has been established. That financial support — which would go directly to the show — could go toward replacing some of the funding lost when longtime sponsor ExxonMobil pulled out as of 2005.

PBS President Paula Kerger today (Jan. 8) told the Television Critics Association crowd that she doesn’t anticipate stations to start pulling out of PBS now that KCET has done so. “I don’t see any other stations poised to go down the same path as KCET,” she said at the annual Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. “These are difficult times for all our stations. We’re particularly focused to really looking at opportunities to help our stations (financially).” More press tour pubcasting news: — PBS reunited former Laugh-In cast members Lily Tomlin, Jo Anne Worley, Ruth Buzzi (on stage, right, PBS photo) and announcer Gary Owens, along with producer George Schlatter, for its announcement that it’ll carry the legendary comedy show for spring pledge.

Radio pubcasters are reacting “with shock and anger” at the departure from NPR of news chief Ellen Weiss, reports the Washington Post today (Jan. 8). “We have allowed Fox News to define the debate,” wrote Peter Block, a member of the board of Cincinnati Public Radio, on an e-mail group for public radio managers. “I do not think this kind of capitulation [by NPR] assures the future of an independent press. … Democracy is on the line and NPR is one of the last bastions of its possibility.” The Post also reported on Schiller’s compensation last year, including a one-time $112,500 bonus that was negotiated as part of her hiring package.

KCET’s ratings in its first week independent of PBS are down 50 percent from the same time last year, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Los Angeles station averaged a 0.3 household rating, according to Nielsen. For primetime, an average of 22,000 viewers tuned in, as opposed to last year, when 41,000 were watching. The station is averaging just 10,000 viewers throughout the day. KCET spokesperson Cathy Williams told the paper, “We think it is much too early to evaluate the ratings, particularly since we’re coming off a holiday weekend.”

For 25 years, Dick Pleasants hosted the Folk Heritage show on WGBH-FM, playing countless songs from up-and-coming folkies. For the past 15 years he’s been behind the mic on WUMB-FM in Boston. And tonight (Jan. 7) he’ll be the guest of honor at “A Pleasant(s) Evening at Sanders Theater: A Tribute to Dick Pleasants from his Friends.” Folk music icon Tom Rush told the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass., that Pleasants is “one of the heroes who have championed this music for decades. He’s been enormously important playing the new stuff as it has come along and keeping the old stuff out there in people’s ears.”

The Independent Digital Distribution Lab — that’s IndiesLab to you — continues to help filmmakers maneuver through that great digital assortment of online platforms. Check out these details on its project with The Parking Lot Movie. The quirky doc managed to crack the Top 10 on the iTunes documentary list for three weeks straight.

Longtime pubcaster Fred Flaxman, a former vice president for development of WXEL in West Palm Beach, Fla., speaks out against the station’s recent deal with Classical South Florida in a letter to the editor of the Palm Beach Post Wednesday (Jan. 5). “The community advisory board of WXEL opposes the sale of WXEL-FM to Classical South Florida,” he writes. “As mandated by federal law, the board represents the community served by the public broadcasting station. Thus, selling to an out-of-state owner violates the wishes of the community the station serves and should not be permitted by the Federal Communications Commission, which has to approve any broadcast license transfer.”

NPR News Chief Ellen Weiss resigned today as the board of directors concluded its review of the dismissal of former news analyst Juan Williams. Weiss was the news exec who dismissed Williams by telephone last October, igniting a controversy over public radio’s news values and a political attack on public broadcasting’s federal funding. NPR President Vivian Schiller, whose public remarks about Williams fueled outrage over the dismissal, retains the confidence of the NPR Board, according to a statement issued this afternoon. But the board voted to deny her 2010 bonus. The review, initiated weeks after the controversial firing, found that Williams was dismissed according to the terms of his contract.

Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) on Wednesday (Jan. 5) reintroduced two bills to defund public broadcasting. H.R. 68 would end all federal appropriations for CPB, while H.R. 69 would specifically deny federal money to NPR. Both would take place after fiscal year 2013. “While I like much of NPR’s programming, the fact is, it is luxury we cannot afford to subsidize,” Lamborn said in a statement. “This effort to cut government spending should be part of the larger push from this new Republican Congress to cut spending and get our nation’s fiscal house in order.” Both bills have been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

As PBS SoCal/KOCE shifts to primary station status in the Los Angeles market, some viewers are complaining about losing favorite programs. Once KCET went independent Jan. 1, the popular talk show Charlie Rose migrated to KVCR; not all local cable systems carry that station. And PBS SoCal was obligated to carry late-night tele-courses. But now, due to budget cuts at Coastline Community College, that programming is being dropped. So Charlie Rose will run at midnight on KOCE starting Jan. 17. More updates on programming shifts and viewer reaction in the Los Angeles Times TV blog.

Nancy Pearl, a regular commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition, Seattle’s KUOW and Tulsa’s KWGS, was named Librarian of the Year by Library Journal, the magazine announces in its issue next week. The University of Washington professor developed the widely imitated One City, One Book citywide book discussions in 1998 before she retired from the Seattle Public Library. A former librarian in Detroit and Tulsa, Pearl remains already one of very few library science personalities to have an action figure made in her image (with shushing action, $8.95 for standard or $12.95 for deluxe). Though Pearl still loves printed books, she admits to occasional reading on her iPad.

CPB Ombudsman Ken Bode looks back over the past year and the various notes he received along the way, including this: “I will dedicate my short life to de-funding you socialist bastards.” Bode observes: “If the majority leadership of the incoming Congress acts on its pledge to de-fund public broadcasting … it doubtless will generate more expressions of that opinion.” “On the other hand,” he notes, “it appears that the community is preparing to mount a strong, coordinated case in support of public broadcasting” (Current, Dec. 13, 2010). Bode also gives high praise to “the public affairs sector of public broadcasting.”