Programs/Content

Alaska Public Media’s new web-first series is part of its ‘video renaissance’

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Alaska Public Media has introduced a new weekly web-first series in what promises to be its “larger video renaissance.”

Indie Alaska, a weekly YouTube series profiling unique Alaskans, is co-produced with PBS Digital Studios and partially funded with a $10,000 Digital Entrepreneurs Grant from PBS. The show launched May 6 with an episode about a ski train polka band. Producers will deliver 52 episodes in total, with new ones debuting each Monday. Patrick Yack, chief content officer at Alaska Public Media, said the dual licensee plans to eventually repackage the episodes in a magazine-like format for TV broadcast and may adapt some for radio as well. The network broadcast promo spots for the series in addition to promoting it through social media.

People

PBS Digital captures multiple Webbys and People’s Voice Awards

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The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences presents two honors in a variety of categories — the Webby Award and the Webby People’s Voice Award. IADAS members select nominees for both awards in each category, as well as the winners of Webby Awards, while members of “the online community” vote for winners of People’s Voice awards. PBS Digital Properties shined in both contests: its productions took four Webbys and three Webby People’s Voice Awards. “Mister Rogers Remixed: Garden of Your Mind,” the first in a series of remixes of iconic PBS personalities created by PBS Digital Studios, won the Webby for video remixes/mashups. PBS Kids received both a Webby and Webby People’s Voice Award for best youth website.

Programs/Content

PBS pushes message of digital innovation at SXSW

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During a March 10 appearance at the South by Southwest Interactive conference, PBS President Paula Kerger talked the talk of digital innovation, pointing to the network’s recent successes with web-original videos, social media messaging and the unparalleled popularity of online content tied to PBS Kids.

Programs/Content

Fred Rogers goes viral with “Garden of Your Mind” video remix

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An Auto-Tuned video of the late PBS icon Fred Rogers is going viral, with more than 700,000 views as of Friday (June 8) afternoon. The three-minute video was remixed by Symphony of Science’s John Boswell for PBS Digital Studios. “When we discovered video mash-up artist John D. Boswell, aka melodysheep, on YouTube,” the PBS studio said in a statement, “we immediately wanted to work together. Turns out that he is a huge Mister Rogers Neighborhood fan, and was thrilled at the chance to pay tribute to one of our heroes.” It’s the first in a series of PBS icon remixes.