TV Worth Blogging
by David Thiel, Program Director for WILL-TV
An insider's view of public television programming and the issues that help determine what and how you watch
February 17 or Not February 17?
You've undoubtedly heard by now of the shutoff of analog television broadcasting scheduled to occur at midnight, February 17. However, you may also have heard of a potential delay in that date. Here's where things stand right now.
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You're An Insider
Want to take a look inside your favorite British comedies? Of course you do! The BBC publishes The Insider, a newsletter prepared especially for U.S. public television viewers. In the latest issues, you'll find an in-depth guide to the first series of As Time Goes By, a peek at holiday-themed Britcom episodes, and some sad news about Wendy Richard of Are You Being Served?
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WILL-TV Leads, Not Follows, In Airing “Torturing” Documentary
Torturing Democracy, a video documentary examining detention and interrogation under the current White House administration, recently became a cause célèbre when a New York Times article revealed that PBS had been offered the show, but could not clear a prime-time slot for it until the day after the new President takes office in January.
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Bias, Balance and Blue Skies
In the final, frantic days of the 2008 election season, charges of media bias have been flying left, right and center. It's to be expected, I suppose. "Shooting the messenger" is by no means a recent practice, and if one can also claim that the messenger allowed his or her own prejudices to dictate the message before it was delivered, so much the better. While I'm not aware of any current ire being directed toward WILL-TV or PBS, I've responded to my share of accusations of bias over the years. Here are a few things I've found to be true.
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Movies You'll Want to Remember
Cagney. Eastwood. Nicholson. Kubrick. These names, and many more, figure into the 85-year history of Warner Bros. American Masters brings us its legacy--from The Jazz Singer to Harry Potter--in a three-night miniseries: You Must Remember This.
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It's Hard to Let Go
Effective September 1, PBS dropped Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from its daily kids' lineup. WILL-TV is one of many public TV stations that will continue to air the series on a reduced basis, once a week. (We will air it Sundays at 7:00 am, beginning September 7.) Still, the decision to follow PBS' lead was not an easy one to make for this programmer; I count my one encounter with Fred Rogers as one of the highlights of my 44 years in this world.
