Season 2 of Keystone Stories focuses on the history of Pennsylvania’s railroads, volunteer fire companies, and the old places being transformed into places of art, culture, and community. See a sneak peek on WPSU-TV on December 1, at 8 p.m.
Keystone Stories is a WPSU television and digital series that takes viewers to the breathtaking, interesting, quirky and sometimes hidden gems around central Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s beautiful landscape serves as the backdrop for an exploration of the people, places and culture that make the region unique.
Birthdays
Steve Nelson – 12/15
WPSU Radio Highlights
WPSU Holiday Jazz Airs December 9 From 10:00 pm to Midnight
Just in time for the holiday it’s a special WPSU Jazz show featuring all holiday jazz. Tune-in as jazz host Greg Petersen present two hours of holiday jazz from Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Billie Holiday, Dave Brubeck, Rachael & Vilray, and more. The special jazz show pairs perfectly with hot cocoa, egg nog, gift wrapping, holiday card writing, and just relaxing. Listen on-air and on-line at wpsu.org,
In Case You Missed It . . .
Four Things To Know About State College’s New Police Complaint Process
Sarah Reface of Spotlight PA filed a report on a new process being implements by the State College Borough. People submitting complaints have the option to submit them anonymously, though they are asked to provide contact information either way. Third parties can submit complaints on behalf of someone else. The Community Oversight Board Complaint Form also asks for the gender and racial/ethnic background of the person submitting the complaint, but this information is not required. Read here.
Central Pennsylvania Hospitals Are Seeing Increasing Numbers Of Children With RSV
WPSU’s Casey Zanowic produced a report on the increase of RSV in children after two years of virtually no cases. Listen here.
WPSU Television Highlights
Keystone Stories (Season 2 Preview Special) - Thursday, December 1 at 8:00 pm
The history of Pennsylvania’s railroads, volunteer fire companies, and old places restored to a new life are featured in this preview of WPSU’s Keystone Stories season 2.
James Taylor: One Man Band - Saturday, December 3 at 9:00 pm
A concert performance of Taylor's most important songs, interspersed with personal anecdotes, touching and witty reflections, and never-before-seen home movies and photographs from Taylor's personal archives.
American Masters “The Adventures of Saul Bellow” - Monday, December 12 at 8:00 pm
Explore Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow's impact on American literature and how he navigated through issues of his time, including race, gender and the Jewish immigrant experience. Featuring interviews with Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie and others.
Oh Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir - Tuesday, December 13 at 8:00 pm
Tony Award-nominee Megan Hilty and television and film actor Neal McDonough join The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for this Irish-inspired edition of this heartwarming annual celebration of music and holiday traditions.
The Earthshot Prize 2022 - Wednesday, December 14 at 8:00 pm
Celebrate the annual ceremony of Prince William's prestigious environmental award: The Earthshot Prize. The star-studded event honors this year's five winners and their innovative solutions to help repair our planet.
NOVA “Rebuilding Notre Dame” - Wednesday, December 14 at 9:00 pm
In April 2019, the world watched as a devastating fire almost destroyed Paris's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral. Go behind the scenes with a team of engineers, masons, and timber workers tackling the daunting challenges of restoring the historic landmark.
American Experience “Test Tube Babies” - Wednesday, December 14 at 10:00 pm
The story of the two doctors whose work became the locus of debate over the limits of science.
Conversations Live! “Seasonal Affective Disorder” - Thursday, December 15 at 8:00 pm
Millions of Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is triggered by the change of seasons. A panel of experts will discuss SAD and answer viewer questions.
Industry News
Amna Nawaz, Geoff Bennett to Co-Anchor ‘NewsHour’
Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett will be the next co-anchors for public television’s flagship public affairs program, PBS NewsHour, according to an announcement Wednesday. Nawaz and Bennett are succeeding Judy Woodruff. Woodruff announced in May that she would step down from the position. She is now gearing up to lead a new reporting project in 2023 and 2024. Nawaz and Bennett will debut as hosts Jan. 2. With Nawaz and Bennett as co-anchors, NewsHour will return to a familiar format. Before becoming sole anchor in 2018, Woodruff co-anchored the program with Gwen Ifill, who died in 2016. NewsHour also had a storied run with Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer as co-anchors from the 1970s into the ’90s.
Facing Dip In Sponsorship Income, NPR Cuts Back On Hiring
NPR began to “severely restrict hiring” this week to counter an expected drop in sponsorship revenue, CEO John Lansing told staff in a memo. NPR’s budget adopted in September anticipated a negligible year-over-year decline in corporate sponsorship revenue. But citing “overall weakness in the advertising industry,” Lansing said the organization now expects a $20 million shortfall in sponsorship revenue for fiscal year 2023. That’s about 15% less than budgeted and about 6% of total projected revenue. “You have seen the headlines about drastic steps being taken by many commercial media companies to shore up their revenues in the face of a global economic contraction,” Lansing wrote. “Unfortunately, NPR and NPR Member stations are experiencing the effects of those economic challenges as well.” Despite new revenues from licensing agreements, Lansing said the organization will still need to make up $10 million. Its near total hiring freeze includes “slowing down” the search for a CCO, Lansing said.
Use Up, Investment Down For Voice-Activated Assistants
Alexa, Siri and other voice-activated assistants are reportedly getting less investment from their creators, even though people are using them more. Most usage focuses on simple inquiries rather than purchases, which were the intended means of monetization, and issues such as inaccurate responses and privacy concerns have arisen. Full story here.
Crunch Time
PARIS — The humble baguette — the crunchy ambassador for French baking around the world — is being added to the U.N.’s list of intangible cultural heritage as a cherished tradition to be preserved by humanity. UNESCO experts gathering in Morocco this week decided that the simple French flute — made only of flour, water, salt, and yeast — deserved United Nations recognition, after France’s culture ministry warned of a “continuous decline” in the number of traditional bakeries, with some 400 closing every year over the past half-century. The U.N. cultural agency’s chief, Audrey Azoulay, said the decision honors more than just bread; it recognizes the “savoir-faire of artisanal bakers” and “a daily ritual.” “It is important that such craft knowledge and social practices can continue to exist in the future,” added Azoulay, a former French culture minister. The agency defines intangible cultural heritage as “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants.” - [AP 11/29/22]
Well, This Is Awkward . . .
"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph." -- Shirley Temple-Black, child actor, and former U.S. ambassador
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