National Memorial Day Concert Sunday, May 24 at 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm
Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise host a special presentation of the star-studded National Memorial Day Concert with new performances and tributes filmed in different locations around the country and iconic stories from past concerts. America’s night of remembrance will honor our troops, veterans, wounded warriors, all those who have given their lives for our nation, and their families. Performers include Cynthia Erivo, Renée Fleming, Trace Adkins, Kelli O’Hara, The National Symphony Orchestra, and more.
Birthdays
Don Bedell - 5/21
Cassie Caldwell - 5/27
Alex Rabb - 5/30
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
Democracy Works: A Roadmap To A More Equitable Democracy Jenna Spinelle talks with K. Sabeel Rahman, president of Demos and co-author of the new book "Civic Power: Rebuilding American Democracy in an Era of Crisis." He is also an associate professor of law at Brooklyn Law School, where he teaches constitutional law, administrative law, and courses on law and inequality.
Take Note: Penn State Prof. Erika Saunders On Mental Health Effects Of The COVID-19 Pandemic WPSU’s Andy Grant talked with Dr. Erika Saunders, the chair of psychiatry and behavioral health at the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health, about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the longterm shelter orders and social distancing have on our mental health.
Take Note: Lindsey Whissel Fenton On Speaking Grief WPSU’s Kristine Allen speaks with Lindsey Whissel Fenton of WPSU, producer & director of the "Speaking Grief,’ a multi-platform project that aims to create a more grief-aware society. The public television documentary, is currently airing on public TV stations around the country. It will re-air on WPSU-TV on Thursday, May 21 at 9:00 pm.
WPSU Television Highlights
A Place to Call Home (Series Finale) - Saturday, May 16 at 9:00 pm
As the Blighs celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, Jack slips further into depression, until a conversation with Frank inspires him to make a courageous decision. Elizabeth sets up her maternity hospital, and the family urges Carolyn to reach out to Jack.
Call the Midwife (Season Finale) - Sunday, May 17 at 8:00 pm
When the council sends a letter announcing plans to cut Nonnatus House's funding, Sister Julienne takes matters into her own hands. Nurse Crane cares for an unmarried expectant mother. Petra must move up her wedding after becoming pregnant.
World on Fire (Season Finale) - Sunday, May 17 at 9:00 pm
Harry has a second chance at saving Kasia from Warsaw. In Manchester, could Lois be set for happiness at last?
Gorilla Family and Me - Monday, May 18 and Monday, May 25 at 9:00 pm (2-part special)
Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan (Reindeer Family & Me) ventures deep into the Congo to find our more about the largest gorillas in the world, the endangered Grauer’s gorilla.
Frontline: Inside Italy’s COVID War - Tuesday, May 19 at 10:00 pm
Inside a hospital battling COVID-19 in Northern Italy, as doctors make life and death decisions. The intimate, exclusive story of one besieged ER doctor, her staff and patients, from the darkest days to the signs of hope.
Spy in the Wild, A Nature Miniseries “The Poles” - Wednesday, May 20 at 8:00 pm
From penguin chicks to elephant seals, and wolf cubs to polar bears, the spy creatures meet and observe the hardiest and most charismatic animals in the Arctic and Antarctic circles.
Conversations Live: Speaking Grief - Thursday, May 21 at 8:00 pm
Is there any “right” way to grieve? WPSU Speaking Grief producer Lindsey Fenton and guests will answer this question and more. You can join the conversation. Call 1-800-543-8242 during the show, or email connect@wpsu.org.
Speaking Grief - Thursday, May 21 at 9:00 pm
SPEAKING GRIEF explores why the pain of losing a loved one can be so difficult to understand and discuss. The film interviews grieving families from across the U.S., whose losses range from stillbirth to suicide, to address common misconceptions about grief. Through candid personal stories and conversations with experts in the grief field, the film also presents ideas for how family and friends can better support each other through loss.
National Memorial Day Concert 2020 - Sunday, May 24 at 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm
Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise host a special presentation of the star-studded National Memorial Day Concert with new performances and tributes filmed in different locations around the country and iconic stories from past concerts.
Midsomer Murders - Thursday, May 28 at 8:00 pm
When Bentham DeQuetteville falls to his death from a roof after seeing a headless horseman, his aristocratic family seem more concerned about their forthcoming Civil War re-enactment than the incident.
Industry News
Viewers Flock To Public TV For News, Food Shows During Lockdown
The coronavirus rocked our world, and it’s really not appropriate to talk about silver linings — except for the occasional description of a lifestyle change we’d like to continue, or end, post-plague. But in watching TV usage soar in the early days of the pandemic, many media observers grudgingly conceded that COVID-19 has been good for media consumption. With no drive time during the current lockdown, radio took a hit, but TV viewing rose. The lockdown resulted in large viewing increases for television news programming, which media researchers quoted as high as 19% for broadcast and 73% for cable. Ratings for network and cable entertainment series increased, too, as did streaming of TV shows. In the first three weeks of March, streaming rose 85% over the previous year. Public TV saw gains too, especially during early fringe and weekend dayparts.
CPB Board Votes To Boost CSG Pool With Delay Of Healthy Network Initiative
CPB’s board of directors voted unanimously to postpone distributing funds from the Healthy Network Initiative, a fund intended to streamline station operations, reduce infrastructure and increase services. Board members voted to delay the initiative for one year. CPB had previously set aside $1 million for stations to receive in fiscal year 2021 to support grantees’ use of data to more effectively serve audiences. Instead, the funds will be added to the pool of money distributed as Community Service Grants to public TV stations.
NPR, Union Agree To Cuts To Employee Pay, Benefits
NPR has moved to temporarily reduce employee compensation as management cut spending in response to a projected budget deficit. Under an agreement ratified by members of NPR’s SAG-AFTRA union, management will reduce employee pay on a sliding scale beginning next week, with a maximum cut of 9%. There will be no change in pay for employees earning less than $80,000. NPR is also ending contributions to the NPR employee retirement plan. The cuts will last through NPR’s fiscal year, which ends in September. NPR took steps last month to manage a growing budget deficit caused by the coronavirus pandemic. CEO John Lansing cut his pay by 25% for the remainder of the fiscal year. Members of NPR’s executive committee took a 15% pay reduction, and other VPs received a 10% cut. NPR also eliminated executive bonuses for the fiscal year. In its agreement with SAG-AFTRA, NPR agreed not to lay off employees for financial reasons through this fiscal year, Harris said. The agreement includes optional furloughs for those employees who choose to take a week off without pay.
Governmental Relations
News from American Public Television Stations (APTS), our federal lobbying group, indicates the latest economic stimulus bill dubbed the HEROES Act does not include funding specifically for public broadcasting.
The HEROES Act does include $90 billion for Education grants to governors to support K-12, public institutions of higher education (IHEs) and early childhood education. These funds may be used to establish or expand remote learning services of the kind public television stations, including WPSU are already providing.
Public television stations may also qualify to apply for funds under a new provision of the HEROES Act intended to help local broadcasters and newspapers report on the pandemic and its related economic consequences.
The legislation would also expand eligibility for the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), making all 501(c)s eligible, which APTS believes may include some State and university licensees.
The legislation introduced Tuesday was crafted by the Democratic majority in the House and it is likely to pass the House Friday. However, it is not likely to become law as the House and Senate pursue increasingly divergent strategies for dealing with the national emergency. Hard negotiations will follow, and it may be weeks or months before any consensus is formed about what to do next to stimulate and re-open the economy.
APTS remains grateful to the Congress for the $75 million in emergency assistance to public broadcasters included in Phase Two of the stimulus response, resulting in WPSU receiving $260,204 for TV and $112,136 for FM (as reported in 5.1.20 NOOZ).
APTS continues its efforts to secure more assistance as the process for the next COVID relief package unfolds in the coming weeks and in future relief packages, as well as concentrating increasingly on the regular annual appropriations process now underway.
Least Competent Criminals
Before Quintin Henderson, 28, was released from Illinois' Cook County Jail on May 2, he made a deal with fellow inmate Jahquez Scott, 21. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Scott promised Henderson $1,000 for letting Scott assume his identity, according to jail authorities, and when Henderson's name was called, Scott stepped up, face mask in place, signed a few papers and walked away. It was when Henderson approached staff members a little while later and said he'd fallen asleep that officers realized there'd been a switch. Henderson, who was supposed to be released, is now being held on charges of aiding and abetting the escape of a felon, and Scott is still on the run. [Chicago Sun-Times, 5/5/2020]
Quotables
“In Germany, they are preparing for the crisis by stocking up with sausage and cheese. That’s the wurst case scenario.” - O Laparoto via Twitter
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