Tag Archives: PBS

Need to Know starts 5/7

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Peabody Award-winning broadcast journalist Alison Stewart and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham will co-anchor Need To Know, a new weekly primetime news and public affairs series slated to debut nationally on PBS May 7th.

A cross-media initiative built around a wide community of journalists and producers, with input from a savvy engaged audience, Need To Know on PBS will cover five primary beats: the economy, the environment and energy, health, national security and culture. Stories, interviews, blogs, video and photo features will offer ongoing updates online, with the production teams inviting interaction and input from users who are on the lookout for the latest information on a given subject.

Each week’s online story development will culminate in the weekly one-hour broadcast, curated from the week’s reporting by the various beat teams and co-anchored by Stewart and Meacham. The broadcast will feature documentary-style field reports, from both domestic and international locales, short features and studio-based interviews and conversation to complement and advance the produced reports.

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Final episode of Bill Moyers Journal airs 4/30

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In the special 90-minute finale, Bill Moyers Journal will feature two main facets of his wide-ranging journalism: a report on people working for change and a “World of Ideas”
conversation with a leading public thinker.

With Moyer’s retirement comes a new public affairs program on Friday nights. Need to Know will cover five primary news beats: the economy; the environment and energy; health; national security; and culture.Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham will co-anchor Need to Know, which will debut nationally on May 7th. Meacham recently taped an episode of KLRU’s Texas Monthly Talks. To watch that complete episode or to learn more go to klru.org/texasmonthlytalks

Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham – Q&A Session from Texas Monthly Talks on Vimeo.

Review: Masterpiece Classic Anne Frank

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Masterpiece Classic “The Diary of Anne Frank”
Sunday, April 11, at 8 p.m.
Note: This program airs on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Anne Frank’s story is one that has been recounted in many forms. Her writing is a unique slice of existence during the Nazi occupation and persecution of the Jewish people in Europe during World War 2. Masterpiece‘s authentic adaptation brings Anne’s writings to life with the help of an excellent performance by actress Ellie Kendrick (An Education). Kendrick aptly coveys the passion and longing of a girl coming of age in such a restrictive environment.

Stashed away in a hidden annex behind a bookcase, Anne’s family and a handful of their fellow Jewish neighbors struggle for two years to remain resourceful, quiet and hopeful, aided by a dwindling but dedicated group of supporters on the outside. As Amsterdam’s streets fill with Nazi soldiers, word of Jews disappearing from their homes makes it back to the hidden
group. The shock of which causes Anne’s mother to nearly break down with anxiety. Anne is in many ways too preoccupied with adolescence and what she may be missing outside to allow herself to be affected the same. She is an intelligent girl and understands the consequences of war, but her youthful spirit, perhaps an unconscious element of self-preservation, cannot be
darkened by her confinement.

The last entry in her diary perhaps best illustrates her spirit:
“I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart”

A spirit that will surely live on forever. This is a Masterpiece not to be missed.

About the reviewer: Mark Pedini is KLRU’s Graphic Designer. He also enjoys illustrating and screen printing show posters with his wife Farley. Mark is the father of a two-year-old daughter who loves Elmo and Clifford. Mark’s favorite Masterpiece programs are Sense and Sensibility, Forsyte Saga and Bleak House.

Are you an innovative educator?

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PBS announced today a multi-year initiative to recognize innovative preK-12 educators and instructional practices that inspire and engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The effort was acknowledged at an event at the White House today marking the second phase of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign that recognizes excellence in teaching.

With its member stations, PBS is launching the annual PBS Teachers® Innovation Challenge (pbs.org/teachers/innovators/) later this month to honor and celebrate talented teachers, and showcase best practices in support of the growth and advancement of the teaching profession. NSTA is supporting the Challenge by encouraging participation of science teachers at every level of school and will recognize innovative STEM educators among the 50 Challenge winners that will be announced this spring.

Full press release here.

To learn more about the PBS Teachers Innovation Challenge, go to pbs.org/teachers/innovators/. More information will be posted by Jan. 25. Entries will be accepted Jan. 25 to March 12.

In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina

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In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina airing tonight (10/15) at 7 p.m. on KRLU is a concert hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama on the South Lawn of the White House that celebrates Hispanic musical heritage. The program includes Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Pete Escovedo, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalía, Tito “El Bambino”, the Bachata music group Aventura, and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos, with Sheila E. leading the house band.

Reading Rainbow says goodbye

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Reading Rainbow will no longer be provided by PBS to stations for broadcast starting on Aug. 28. No new episodes of the children’s program have been produced for several years and PBS removed the series from its daily lineup last fall to make room for new programs with reading and science/math content. After nearly a after a quarter century on public television, the series will no long be broadcast over the air. Producers of the series are working to continue the show online and DVDs of episodes will be available through Shop PBS.

Editor’s Note: Reading Rainbow has been an influential part of the learning expereince for many children.  Please share your story about the show’s impact by leaving a comment below.

PBS blog for tweens

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This month the PBS KIDS GO! site, It’s My Life launched a blog for tweens at http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/blog/ The blog is the latest addition to this safe and engaging destination that tackles tough issues that adolescents face in school, at home and in popular media. The blog’s age-appropriate articles cover everyday issues facing tweens,such as online bullying and going green, as well as discuss pop culture news and book reviews.

The site includes an Educators section with lesson plans that focus on bullies, drug abuse, eating disorders, being home alone, making money, smoking, sports and participation. Also be sure to check out the School channel that addresses topics on time management, transitioning to middle school and high school, cheating, surviving embarrassing moments, relating to a teacher, and dealing with test stress.

Ken Burns seeks Dust Bowl stories

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Filmmaker Ken Burns is seeking stories for his upcoming film “The Dust Bowl.” Burns writes “… Like our earlier films on World War II, Jazz, Baseball, and The Civil War, we think the Dust Bowl is an important event in all of American history. We’re in the early stages of our research, but we know that Oklahoma will be a major part of the Dust Bowl story we want to tell. We’re looking for first-person stories of Oklahomans who lived through those hard, hard times, especially out in the Panhandle, where the Dust Bowl was the worst. We hope to find people who can share their experiences with us – or their photographs, diaries, or home movies from the 1930s, to help us tell this important story.”

If you have or know of a person who has a dust bowl story to share,

email: dustbowl@oeta.tv
call: the Oklahoma PBS station OETA at 1-800-846-7665
or writing to:
OETA Dustbowl Stories
P.O. Box 14190
Oklahoma City, OK 73113