Public Television

Big Bird to the Rescue?

Stevie Converse — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:48:21 -0400

Full article: Columbia Journalism Review
Elizabeth Jensen
The public interest community wants public media to rescue serious journalism. But in public television, at least, Big Bird is the big draw. Public radio has certainly taken up the cause of filling the news gap in an era of struggling newspapers and partisan commercial broadcasting. NPR has created an investigative unit, showcased foreign coverage, and launched multiple projects to bolster local station news reporting, which many stations have embraced. What about public television?

Writers Guild Says Merged Media Could Fund Public TV

Stevie Converse — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:46:16 -0400

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
John Eggerton
The Writers Guild of America East has advised the FCC that if it lets any more big media companies merge, it should make them help pay for public affairs programming on public television. It also advised it against allowing more consolidation of operations or ownership of news media outlets -- like local TV stations -- and wants the FCC to start thinking about concentration of power in multichannel video distribution by companies that are also Internet Service Providers.

Preserving Digital Public Television

Stevie Converse — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:04:03 -0400

Full article: Library of Congress
The "Preserving Digital Public Television" project, funded by the Library of Congress, has issued its final report. The paper covers project goals, activities undertaken, outreach to the public broadcasting community and the impact and contributions that the study has made to the field.

Eshoo: If DISH Can Carry Porn, It Can Carry PBS

Stevie Converse — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:04:53 -0400

Full article: The Hill
Sara Jerome
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) has criticized DISH Network's move to take the FCC to court over a requirement that it carry public broadcasting signals in high definition by next year. "If DISH has room to carry pornography, they can find room for PBS," Eshoo said.

The Squeeze on Big Bird

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:58:09 -0500

Full article: Stateline.org
Melissa Maynard
The challenges that Idaho Public Television is facing are emblematic of the decisions that public television agencies and stations around the country will have to make if states decide that public television is no longer a business they can afford to be in.

Debate Confronts Idaho Public Television's Value

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:46:12 -0500

Full article: Idaho Statesman
Cynthia Sewell and Anna Webb
Idaho's Gov. Butch Otter's proposed cuts to Idaho Public Television are just the latest in a long and sometimes stormy relationship between the Statehouse and state-owned public TV. His hope to wean IPTV from state general tax dollars over four years is challenging lawmakers to tackle questions that have simmered for years.

CPB Distributes $25 Million in Fiscal Stabilization Grants

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:28:50 -0500

Full article: Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is distributing $25 million in fiscal stabilization grants to public radio and television licensees across the country.

Should the FCC Count Public Radio Station Board Members as Owners?

Stevie Converse — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:57:03 -0400

Full article: Radio Survivor
Matthew Lasar
The four major organizations that represent public broadcasting say the FCC shouldn’t count public radio and television station board members as the “owners” of the license in question.

PBS to Shorten Time Commitments for Sponsorships

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:59:14 -0400

Full article: New York Times
Brian Stelter
Companies will soon be able to sponsor some PBS programs for as little as one week at a time, rather than a full year. Feeling the pinch of marketing budgets, public television stations are being forced to be more creative when they approach corporate underwriters.

PBS Head Warns About Digital Switch

Stevie Converse — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:48:11 -0500

Full article: Variety
John Weisman
PBS President Paula Kerger sounded alarm bells over the looming digital TV conversion that will catch many of her viewers unprepared. She called the empty coffers of the federal subsidy program for the conversion "inexcusable."