Programs/Content
#PBSForTheArts campaign documents how arts have survived pandemic
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#PBSForTheArts is examining how arts organizations are working to “stay around, stay relevant and then fight back,” said WNET Group CEO Neal Shapiro.
Programs/Content
Filmmakers who challenged PBS on diversity continue push for transparency
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Members of Beyond Inclusion say they will keep advocating for issues they raised in a March letter to PBS CEO Paula Kerger.
System/Policy
NPR has ‘not completely bounced back’ from pandemic’s impact on revenue, says acting CEO
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Leaders of NPR and PBS spoke to Texas pubmedia employees about lessons from the past year and possible collaborations between the networks.
Programs/Content
PBS, ITVS delay documentary broadcast after Trump quote draws scrutiny
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The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America had pointed out inaccuracies in a quote from a 2020 press conference.
Programs/Content
World Channel brings ‘Eyes on the Prize’ back to public television with first-ever streaming window
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The acclaimed documentary on the American civil rights movement has renewed relevance to contemporary discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion, said World Channel EP Chris Hastings.
System/Policy
‘Caillou’ sale, streaming surge help to boost PBS budget far above expectations
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“Clearly, this is an extraordinary result for PBS at this stage of the year,” said CFO Tom Tardivo.
System/Policy
Attorneys for Michael Pack seek dismissal of D.C. lawsuit
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Pack has been accused of using a separate nonprofit’s funds to enrich his production company.
Programs/Content
‘Fast-Forward’ challenges viewers to have tough conversations about aging
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A documentary debuting March 24 follows millennials and their boomer parents as they navigate an “aging boot camp.”
System/Policy
Pubmedia’s meeting organizers say virtual conferences are here to stay
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Even when it’s safe to bring hundreds of conventioneers together in hotel ballrooms, digital meeting platforms will make it possible for more people to participate.
Programs/Content
‘Atlantic Crossing’ brings subtitled Norwegian drama to ‘Masterpiece’
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When the pipeline of British dramas slowed during lockdown, EP Susanne Simpson acquired a World War II drama from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
Programs/Content
PBS execs upbeat about financial outlook, new arts programs
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During the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, President Paula Kerger cited gains in stations’ membership revenues and the Biden administration’s focus on education as bright spots.
Programs/Content
‘Independent Lens’ partners with PBS for documentaries on civics, justice system
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The marquee program for the initiative is “Philly D.A.,” an eight-part series about Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and his staff’s plan to address community issues.
System/Policy
PBS distances itself from former staff attorney ensnared in Project Veritas sting
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A video of the former employee includes “hateful rhetoric” that violates PBS’ values, the network said.
Programs/Content
Why parents are celebrating the departure of PBS’ ‘Caillou’
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“Pretty much everything on PBS is better than ‘Caillou.'”
System/Policy
In PBS’ 50th year, Paula Kerger sets course to ‘speak to the moment of what is happening now’
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Instead of celebrating great moments of PBS’ history, 2020 has been a year to figure out what will “meet the needs of people right now,” says the organization’s president and CEO.
Programs/Content
To truly reflect diversity, PBS must end its overreliance on Ken Burns as ‘America’s Storyteller’
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It’s time to rethink PBS’ commitments to one man’s lens on American history and culture, writes filmmaker Grace Lee.
People
Sylvia Bugg promoted to PBS chief programming exec
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Bugg will replace Perry Simon, who informed PBS he was stepping down this summer.
System/Policy
Ready To Learn grants to CPB, TPT back four new children’s TV series
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Additional programs will be produced by GBH in Boston and Dave Peth.
System/Policy
Public TV fights datacasting fees at FCC
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Advocates are challenging a requirement that stations pay the FCC 5% of revenue from “ancillary or supplementary services,” which they say could hamper adoption of ATSC 3.0.
Programs/Content
Opportunities and questions abound in the shifting marketplace for documentaries
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In an excerpt from the new book “Story Movements: How Documentaries Empower People and Inspire Social Change,” Caty Borum Chattoo considers how the expanding documentary marketplace might affect the stories served up to audiences.