System/Policy
A station CEO on the struggle to find public TV’s “driving force”
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Steve Bass of Oregon Public Broadcasting reflects on the relationship of PBS and its member stations in the face of digital disruption.
Programs/Content
Two-night PBS special will examine growth of gun violence
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Each broadcast will feature an Independent Lens documentary followed by a town hall.
PBS
PBS board committee endorses tentative guidelines for new kids’ service
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Board members also got an update on the success of PBS Passport.
Programs/Content
Collaborations between radio, TV expand coverage but have limits
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National producers and networks are finding ways to work across media, despite challenges posed by technology.
System/Policy
How television shaped Paula Kerger’s American dream
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“Television … provided a lifeline to a bigger world.”
Programs/Content
Promotional strategy for ‘Black Panthers’ pays off for PBS
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The filmmakers’ strategy for engaging an audience was in the works for more than a year.
Programs/Content
‘Mercy Street’ to return to PBS lineup for second season
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The second season will bring viewers “closer to the fight and into the halls of Confederate power.”
Quick Takes
It’s a veddy big and happy farewell for ‘Downton Abbey’
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Some 9.6 million viewers tuned in for Sunday night’s last episode.
Programs/Content
Study reveals surprising diversity among public TV viewership
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Data examined by TRAC Media Services “refute mischaracterizations of public TV’s audience as homogeneously white retired folk.”
Programs/Content
PBS announces free streaming service for kids, with interactive games
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Embedded interactive games will allow kids to switch between a program and a related educational activity.
Programs/Content
Producers rethink children’s TV shows to appeal to digitally savvy youngsters
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To keep pace, creators of new and legacy shows must think far beyond the television screen.
System/Policy
PBS hones focus on education, shifts responsibility among top staffers
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The moves “are about education, engagement and efficiency,” said COO Jonathan Barzilay.
Programs/Content
PBS will decide shortly on another season of ‘Mercy Street’
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Online viewers watched 500,000 streams of Mercy Street within a week after its debut.
Programs/Content
Early ratings for PBS’s ‘Mercy Street’ show promise
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The series’ Jan. 17 debut drew 3.3 million viewers.
Programs/Content
‘The Pub’ #52: Slate’s June Thomas reviews ‘Mercy Street’
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Can the Civil War drama compare to Downton Abbey?
Quick Takes
PBS Winter Press Tour news, from Broadway to outer space
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PBS answered a looming question: What will take over Downton Abbey’s Sunday-evening timeslot?
Programs/Content
PBS president expresses concern about auction’s impact on coverage
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Paula Kerger spoke with TV critics Monday about the FCC spectrum auction, the success of Downton Abbey and the future of Mercy Street.
Programs/Content
PBS’s ‘Mercy Street’ debuts with Amazon streaming deal in place
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PBS is pulling out all the stops to promote its first original American drama in over a decade.
Downton Abbey
On-demand programs prove alluring to PBS station members
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Since PBS’s Passport service launched last month, more than 30,000 members have signed up to watch Downton Abbey and other marquee offerings.
Tech
Familiar PBS characters appear in new coding app for kids
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With Ready To Learn funding, PBS is tackling computer science as a 21st-century skill for young children.