American Masters: Rita Moreno:
Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
Discover how Rita Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winners. Explore her 70-year career with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles and scenes of the star on set today. Premieres Tuesday, October 5 at 9pm on WPSU-TV.
Birthdays
10/5 Sarah Dillon
10/8 Traci Watson
10/13 Nancy Eckenroth
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
To Avoid Wolf’s Veto, Pa. Gop Proposes Giving Voters Final Say On Stricter ID Rules, Other Election Changes Spotlight PA reports that Republicans in the state House are advancing a proposal that would give Pennsylvania voters the opportunity to significantly change how elections are run here while bypassing Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and his veto pen. The House State Government Committee on Monday passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would require people voting in person or by mail to present “valid identification.” Exactly what constitutes valid ID would be laid out in separate legislation. Full story here.
Concerned About The Potential Spread Of COVID, State College Area School District Switches Some Fifth-Graders To Remote
WPSU’s Anne Danahy reports that all three of State College Area School District's Mount Nittany Elementary fifth grade classes will now be taught remotely until Monday, according to the district. The change comes as two more students and one employee have tested positive for COVID-19 since Friday. The move came after the school district saw five cases within eight days, spokesman Chris Rosenblum said. Full story here.
What Mount Nittany Health Says About The Increase In Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients In Centre County
Mount Nittany Medical Center has been seeing an increase in patients with COVID-19. WPSU’s Anne Danahy spoke with Dr. Upendra Thaker, chief medical officer, and Dr. Tiffany Cabibbo, chief nursing officer and executive vice president for patient care services, about the pandemic and how Mount Nittany Health is responding.
WPSU Television Highlights
Call the Midwife (Season 10 Premiere) - Sunday, October 3 at 8:00 pm
In the season premiere of Call the Midwife Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner clash over whether to provide a private care service. A distressing birth raises fears of another Thalidomide case.
Grantchester on Masterpiece (Season 6 Premiere) - Sunday, October 3 at 9:00 pm
A much-needed summer break at a vacation resort takes an unexpected turn for Will and Geordie when the camp owner is found dead in suspicious circumstances.
Alma’s Way (PBS Kids Premiere) - Weekdays at 8:30 am and 4:00 pm starting October 4
ALMA’S WAY is a new animated series from Fred Rogers Productions. The series is created by actor and writer, Sonia Manzano, who positively impacted the lives of generations as “Maria” on Sesame Street, breaking new ground as one of the first Latino characters on national television. ALMA’S WAY gives children ages 4-6 the power to find their own answers to their problems, express what they think and feel, and recognize and respect the unique perspective of others.
American Masters “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It” - Tuesday, October 5 at 9:00 pm
Discover how Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winners. Explore her 70-year career with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles and scenes of the star on set today.
NOVA “Particles Unknown” - Wednesday, October 6 at 9:00 pm
NOVA joins an international team of neutrino hunters as they try to capture an elusive fourth form of neutrino. The results of their investigation may force scientists to redraw their well-established blueprint of the subatomic world, the Standard Model of physics, and change our understanding of how the universe works.
Midsomer Murders “The Village that Rose from the Dead" (Season 19 Premiere) - Thursday, October 7 at 8:00 pm
The ghost village of Little Auburn has been abandoned since the war. When a young man is found murdered during its grand reopening, DCI Barnaby and DS Winter must unravel a sinister web of lies from both past and present in order to catch the killer. First appearances of Nick Hendrix as DS Jamie Winter and Paddy the dog.
The Indian Doctor (Season 3 Premiere) - Saturday, October 9 at 8:00 pm
In Season 3, set three years after Prem and Kamini's arrival, they have become very much a part of the Trefelin community. But their lives and those of everyone in the village are about to change when the wild and rambunctious sons of the mine owner return to bring a first real taste of the swinging '60s.
Bancroft (WPSU Series Premiere) - Saturday nights at 10pm starting October 9
Detective Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Bancroft is riding a professional high as the head of a new merged super force. But her reputation as a ‘good cop’ has come at a huge personal cost. When a disturbing double murder brings her personal and professional life crashing together, she is confronted with a chilling new enemy, and the repercussions of her past actions will return to haunt her in ways she never expected.
Snow Cats and Me (Two-part series) - Monday, October 11 and 18 at 9:00 pm
Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan joins pioneering Russian big cat experts in a mission to rescue lynx kittens and adults from captivity and return them to the wild. This ambitious and beautiful series allows Gordon to get close to these charismatic 'big cats', experiencing every nerve-wracking and heartwarming moment and, ultimately, their triumphant return to the wild.
Frontline “Taliban Takeover” - Tuesday, October 12 at 9:00 pm
The Taliban take over Afghanistan, and the threat of ISIS and Al Qaeda intensifies. On the ground, reporter Najibullah Quraishi investigates uncertainty and fear among the Afghan people and revisits the lead up to the U.S. defeat and Taliban’s return.
Industry News
Industry Board Calls for Content-Based ‘TV Ratings’ for Streaming Services
An industry-created content ratings oversight board whose members include major studios and networks is recommending that streaming services adopt TV's age-based ratings system, given the growing number of families that can access those platforms, many of which do not use the TV parental guidelines content ratings. The TV Parental Guidelines Board, chaired by Motion Picture Associationchairman Charles Rivkin, has issued new “best practice” guidelines for streaming services focused on how they can and should adopt age-based ratings and applicable descriptors. Full story here.
NPR Budgets For Improved Financial Outlook In New Fiscal Year
NPR’s board of directors approved a budget Sept. 14 that anticipates breaking even in the upcoming fiscal year following two years of deficits. The budget allots for $292.8 million in revenue, which would be an all-time high for NPR, and expenses of $279.1 million, CFO Deborah Cowan told the board’s finance committee Sept. 9. NPR is budgeting to break even on operating cash, a “key metric” that includes items such as capital expenditures and debt service, according to Cowan. The network is estimated to end the 2021 fiscal year with about a $2 million deficit, roughly half the deficit of FY20.
As PBS Exceeds Profit Projections, Board Approves $30.4M Transfer To CEO Fund
PBS’ net income for fiscal year 2021 was $30.4 million, about $5.3 million more than previous forecasts. During a finance committee meeting Sept. 13, CFO and Treasurer Tom Tardivo credited the financial success to three factors: increased ancillary revenue, higher income from PBS Distribution and lower expenses on grants and other categories. Tardivo said the increased revenue in FY21 is also linked to the sale of equity in the children’s program Caillou, a settlement with Dish Network and higher performance by subscription video on demand channels. Because of the financial surplus, Tardivo said the PBS finance committee should recommend that PBS transfer $30.4 million into the CEO Roadmap to the Future Fund. PBS’ board approved the transfer Wednesday.
Governmental Relations
FEDERAL
Amid a very fluid situation in Washington, DC (as of this writing) and pending the outcome of legislation on transportation and overall funding bills as well as a resolution to keep the government funded beyond September 30th, our public media lobbyists – American Public Television Stations (APTS) and leaders at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) continue to be optimistic that the following allocations will prevail in the final FY2022 Appropriations Bill:
• $565 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in FY 2024 representing a $90 million increase.
• $20 million for Interconnection — level funding that matches our request.
• $31.78 million for Ready to Learn — a $2.28 million increase.
WPSU receives federal funding through CPB. As they say in the broadcasting business, “stay tuned”!
Now is a good time to advocate to ensure public media funding is a priority. Join the grassroots effort led by Protect my Public Media today to have your voice heard by your elected officials in Washington DC. Every voice matters and our Senators and Congressmen pay attention to the “loudest voices” in their districts. Head here to do your part and thank you.
Least Competent Criminal Strikes Again
LAKE CITY, Fla.— A Florida man tried to trade in a vehicle from the same dealership he stole it from, police said. Lake City police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at a Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership on Monday, WTLV-TV reported. Employees told officers that a man was trying to trade in his vehicle for a new one. But upon checking the VIN number, they found that the vehicle was stolen from the dealership’s lot a few days earlier. The man admitted to stealing the vehicle, police said, adding the crime was captured on the dealership’s camera system. He was arrested on charges including grand theft of a motor vehicle and criminal mischief. [AP - 9/22/21]
Quoteables
“A true Friend is the best Possession.” Benjamin Franklin - Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1744
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