Georgia Public Broadcasting and Prairie Public Broadcasting in North Dakota will participate in the initiative.

Dilday will succeed Justine Nagan as executive director for American Documentary.

Weiss discusses a career elevating the voices of "the poets and the prophets and the pamphleteers of our era."

Filmmakers found that local police departments are deploying military equipment in raids for nonviolent, low-level drug offenses.

Filmmakers David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg said they “grew up as middle schoolers watching Bill Nye on PBS."

Public media accounted for five of the 12 winners in the category.

Other award winners include independent producer Jenni Monet, Reveal’s Will Evans and WFAE's Lisa Worf.

The festival has become increasingly important for U.S.–based public media.

The study’s authors argued that films such as God Loves Uganda are central to public TV’s mission.

Nagan succeeds Simon Kilmurry, who left July 6 to head the International Documentary Association.