Quick Takes

Custom tier coming to PBS LearningMedia digital service

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PBS LearningMedia, which delivers free on-demand digital educational resources, is offering a new fee-based custom tier service. So far, nearly 1 million educators and parents of home-schooled children have registered to access LearningMedia, a partnership with WGBH that was initially announced two years ago and received nearly $2 million in CPB support in April. The new custom tier adds tools to help administrators manage the service, more than 800 hours of additional content, an upload option for schools to add specific local content, and analytical tools. PBS is launching the custom tier at the International Society for Technology in Education conference this week in San Antonio.

Quick Takes

President selects broadcaster Gilbert for another term on CPB Board

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President Barack Obama last Friday nominated Elko, Nev., news director Lori Gilbert to serve a second term on the CPB Board. She previously served from 2008-12, arriving as an appointee of the Bush administration. Gilbert is the news director for Elko Broadcasting Co. (KELK-AM and KLKO-FM) and KENV Television. Gilbert is the president’s fifth nominee to fill vacancies on the CPB Board of Directors.

Quick Takes

Tavis Smiley joins BlogTalkRadio

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In fall 2012, Tavis Smiley saw a decline in station carriage for his public radio program Smiley & West, including a high-profile drop from Chicago’s WBEZ. Now Smiley has found a new platform: online radio.

Quick Takes

Downton Abbey gets a Sideways boost

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Actor Paul Giamatti (John Adams, Sideways) is joining the cast of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic. He’ll play Harold, the “maverick, playboy” brother of Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, according to a Masterpiece announcement today. Gareth Neame, managing director of producer Carnival Films, said, “We can’t wait to see him work alongside Shirley MacLaine, who are both sure to upset the Granthams’ apple cart in this year’s finale.”

Downton’s Season 4 premieres Jan. 5, 2014.

Quick Takes

KEET, KIXE in California trying collaboration; each has trouble with NFFS minimums

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KEET-TV in Eureka, Calif., could lose its Community Service Grant as soon as September because it is not reaching its minimum non-federal financial support requirement, reports the local North Coast Journal in Humboldt County. Executive Director Ron Schoenherr told the newspaper that KEET has never raised its NFFS minimum of $800,000, in its 44 years of broadcasting. KEET has received waivers based on its rural location and limited resources until CPB policies tightened in 2010. In a letter to the station last fall, CPB told KEET it must show by June 30 that “it has significantly improved its long-term financial sustainability through a merger, consolidation, or collaboration.” In April, KEET’s board of directors passed a resolution to collaborate with KIXE in Redding; that station’s board approved a similar resolution in May.