Andrea Bocelli: Music for Hope, A Great Performances Special
In a concert offering an uplifting message of love, healing and hope, Italian tenor and global music icon Andrea Bocelli gives a solo performance at the historic Duomo, the cathedral of Milan, Italy, by invitation of the city and of the cathedral and thanks to the hospitality of the Archpriest and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo. Airing Sunday, April 19, at 6:00pm on WPSU-TV.
State College Area's Food Service Director On Helping Families Feed Their Kids When School Is Closed
As part of Pennsylvania’s efforts to slow down COVID-19, the state’s K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the year. Some school districts, including the State College Area, have stepped in to help families make sure children are still getting enough to eat. WPSU’s Anne Danahy spoke with the district’s food service director, Megan Schaper, about the need, and how she and her staff are meeting it by packing hundreds of meals.
Take Note: Mount Nittany Health's Chief Medical Officer On Beating COVID-19
Nirmal Joshi has been the chief medical officer at Mount Nittany Health since November 2017. He has a background in infectious diseases, and has been helping lead Mount Nittany’s efforts to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen here.
Checking In With One Of Centre County's First COVID-19 Patients, On Day 19
A couple of weeks ago, we talked with State College resident Dean Lindsey, who said he was one of the first people in Centre County to have a confirmed case of COVID-19. Lindsey is the senior pastor at State College Presbyterian Church. WPSU’s Emily Reddy checked in with him again to see how he’s doing now.
Take Note: Penn State Prof. Nita Bharti On Public Health Messaging Around Coronavirus On this Take Note, we talked about public health messaging, specifically how the U.S. government has communicated about and reacted to the coronavirus outbreak. Also, how dealing with a pandemic is different in a democracy than in an authoritarian country. Our guest was Nita Bharti, an assistant professor of biology and the Lloyd Huck Early Career Professor in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State.
WPSU Television Highlights
Midsomer Murders - Thursday, April 16 at 8:00pm
In Midsomer Mow, the gruesome discovery of a farmer's eviscerated body in an ancient stone circle is made just days before the spring equinox.
Last Tango in Halifax - Thursday, April 16 at 9:30pm
Celia and Alan are enjoying their new life together, but widowed Gillian and separated Caroline have problems with their respective children and partners. During Celia and Alan's engagement party, Gillian's son is arrested for assaulting his mother's young lover.
Call the Midwife - Sunday, April 19 at 8:00pm
Sister Julienne volunteers Nonnatus House to take part in an obstetrics training initiative for four young doctors. Their arrival causes a lot of excitement among the midwives. Fred makes a discovery while on his CDC rounds.
World on Fire on Masterpiece - Sunday, April 19 at 9:00pm
Tom faces the fight of his life aboard HMS Exeter, while Harry and Lois have a more personal battle to fight.
Baptiste on Masterpiece - Sunday, April 19 at 10:00pm
Tcheky Karyo revives his role as French detective Julien Baptiste in this spin-off of “The Missing.” While visiting his daughter in Amsterdam, Baptiste becomes drawn into a missing persons case that may be connected to a human trafficking gang.
Andrea Bocelli: Music for Hope, A Great Performances Special - Sunday, April 19 at 6:00pm
Experience iconic Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in an Easter Sunday concert from Milan’s historic cathedral. With the city under lockdown due to COVID-19, the singer performs “Ave Maria,” “Amazing Grace” and more accompanied only by an organist.
Frontline: Coronavirus Pandemic - Tuesday, April 21 at 9:00pm
A special report on the government response to the coronavirus and the human toll. The two-part special investigates the federal response versus Washington State, the outbreak's epicenter; and in the Midwest, how the outbreak impacts poor children.
Climate Change - The Facts - Wednesday, April 22 at 8:00pm
Scientists explore the impact of climate change and what could happen if global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees. Discover how the latest innovations and technology are posing potential solutions and what individuals can do to prevent further damage.
H2O: The Molecule that Made Us “Pulse” - Wednesday, April 22 at 9:00pm
How did water arrive on Earth? How did it come to underpin every aspect of existence from dragonflies to deserts in bloom to human life? Dive in!
What Will Become of Us? - Sunday, April 26 at 6:00pm
100 years ago, Armenians were nearly annihilated by Genocide. Today, often unrecognized, it remains defining - but the long shadow of the Genocide creates a burden for young Armenian Americans that discourages them from taking up their culture. What Will Become of Us follows six Armenian Americans - famous and otherwise - as they navigate the 100th anniversary of the Genocide, forging identities for the next 100 years. How can Armenian Americans honor their past, while unshackling themselves from its trauma?
Secrets of the Dead “Building Notre Dame” - Tuesday, April 28 at 8:00pm
Follow an investigation into the centuries-long construction of Notre Dame de Paris, uncovering the vast architectural, technical and human challenges that played out during the turbulent history of one of the world's most celebrated buildings.
Inside the Vatican - Tuesday, April 28 at 9:00pm
Go inside the daily lives of those who live and work in the Vatican. From the Pope to the gardener to the head of security, the film gives rare behind-the-scenes access to the inner workings of the city-state.
Spy in the Wild, A Nature Miniseries - Wednesday, April 29 at 8:00pm
The spy creatures investigate the wildlife that thrives in the tropics. They infiltrate a hippo pod, a nursery of red flying foxes, a gorilla sanctuary and the secret world of pygmy forest elephants.
Conversations Live: Get Your Garden On - Thursday, April 30 at 8:00pm
Waking up the garden to a new growing season is about more than soil and seedlings…spring is a pick-me-up for the home gardener as well. Penn State Extension specialists join us to share their tips for the best growing season ever. They also take viewer questions.
Industry News
Podcast Gathers Far-Flung Stories Of People Living Through The Pandemic
When Vermont independent producer Erica Heilman was thinking about how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting a podcast wasn’t her first impulse. Initially, she volunteered to deliver meals for the schools in St. Johnsbury, Vt., where her son is enrolled. Her offer was declined. Then she toyed with the idea of singing Gershwin tunes outside nursing homes. That’s not as bizarre as it sounds — Heilman majored in musical theater in college. But “I couldn’t figure out the technology,” said Heilman. “You need a freaking karaoke box or something.” Then it dawned on her: Despite her inability to be out in the world interviewing people, she could still produce a podcast. It wouldn’t be like Rumble Strip, the podcast she’s produced for seven years that The Believer magazine described as “Fresh Air, but for non-famous people who happen to live in Vermont.” But it would be made with help from Rumble Strip’s listeners, featuring stories of people dealing with the pandemic. Now every two or three days, Heilman is releasing new episodes of Our Show, with recordings made on smartphones by people sheltering in place all over the world. Listeners are choking up as they hear the heartbreaking scenes playing out.
Building The Perfect Home Studio With NPR’s Don Gonyea
Many public media journalists are working from home, covering the coronavirus from dining room tables and recording audio in makeshift pillow forts. Don Gonyea, NPR’s roving national political correspondent, has a lot of experience recording high-quality audio outside of a studio. He often records his features and spots from hotel rooms across the country while he follows political hopefuls. “It really was necessity,” Don Gonyea said of his early pillow-fort–building days. “I noticed early on that I could control the acoustics of my environment no matter where I was, and that if I could figure out quick solutions no matter where I was, I could really improve the quality of what I put on the air.”
A survey commissioned by Mentimeter, an interactive presentation company, found that 12% of people working from home turn their computer's camera off during a video meeting because they're wearing few or no clothes, United Press International reported on March 26. Along with that, Walmart Executive Vice President Dan Bartlett told The Washington Post, "we're seeing increased sales in tops, but not bottoms," a phenomenon presumably driven by video conferencing workers who do leave their cameras on. [United Press International, 3/26/2020; Washington Post, 3/28/2020]
Quotables
"When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars." - Unknown
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