A new four-part series details the incredible histories within the stone walls of over 40 castles in four European countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain. Myths and legends are also explored, from ghosts and monsters to inexplicable noises and claims of treasure; to unimaginable tortures, murders, and deaths for love. Premieres on Monday, July 18 at 9:00pm on WPSU-TV
From The GM's Desk
I hope everyone is getting an opportunity to take some time off this summer. Rest and rejuvenation are truly essential for us all. When we are at work, please check out our summer activities. We will be quite active serving our communities with educational programs, news reporting, great on-air and digital programming, fundraising and productions, all while we maintain our broadcast operations. We also just started a new fiscal year which brings some new accounts for us so please ask someone from Finance if you have any questions. Thank you all for your wonderful work.
All my best ...
Birthdays
7/25 Dave Dzikowski
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
Pennsylvania Has A New Child Care Tax Credit. Here’s What You Need To Know
Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA filed a report on a new, permanent child care tax credit that will allow families to claim thousands of dollars in benefits.The new tax credit was created as part of Pennsylvania’s new $45.2 billion budget, which Governor Wolf signed into law in early July. Wolf and lawmakers also allocated over $140 million to a one-time expansion of a property tax credit for low-income and older Pennsylvanians. Details here.
Bellefonte Is Fixing Some Of Its Electric Vehicle Chargers, After Storms Fried Them A Second Time
Anne Danahy reported on repairs by the Bellefonte borough to EV charging stations. Repairs that were done before, undone by storms. Details here.
After Advancing Constitutional Amendment, Pa. Republicans Move Closer To Being Able To Restrict Abortion Access
Katie Meyer of WHYY reported on how in the final days before their summer recess, Republicans in Pennsylvania’s House and Senate rushed a major constitutional amendment through its first phase of legislative approval. It would clear a path for them to dramatically restrict — or even ban — abortion in the commonwealth. Details here.
WPSU Television Highlights
Castles: Secrets, Mysteries and Legends - Mondays at 9:00 pm starting July 18
This 4-part series details the incredible histories, myths and legends within the stone walls of more than 40 castles in four European countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain.
POV “Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust” - Monday, July 18 at 10:00 pm
Three communities intersect, sharing histories of forced removal - Japanese Americans who were incarcerated at the Manzanar WWII concentration camp, Native Americans who were forced from these lands, and ranchers turned environmentalists, who were bought out by the LA Department of Water and Power. How do they come together in the present moment to defend their land and water from Los Angeles?
The Green Planet “Seasonal Worlds” - Wednesday, July 20 at 8:00 pm
Sir David Attenborough reveals the surprising and dramatic effects of the four seasons on plant life. In order to survive the huge challenges each season presents, plants must use strategy, deception and remarkable feats of engineering.
Grantchester on Masterpiece “Episode 3”- Sunday, July 24 at 9:00 pm
A vagrant's death leads Will and Georgie to investigate two previous similar unsolved cases as a possible killer is targeting the homeless.
America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston “Appalachia: A Different Way”- Tuesday, July 26 at 9:00 pm
Baratunde meets the people of Appalachia who are driving a revolution in how we see and interact with nature. Meet a record-breaking hiker, former coal miners raising bees, and activists working to make the outdoors accessible to everyone.
Frontline “Facing Eviction” - Tuesday, July 26 at 10:00 pm
Families struggle to keep their homes during the pandemic, despite a federal ban on evictions. With Retro Report, an intimate look at the nation's affordable housing crisis through the eyes of tenants, landlords, judges, and law enforcement.
Governmental Relations
State Funding
According to PA PBS’ lobbying group, Cozen O’Connor, the Governor’s Budget office reports as part of the approved $44 billion state budget, the 7 PA PBS member stations, including WPSU, will receive $750,000 to be split equally
Federal Funding
The House Appropriations Committee completed committee markups on the last of their 12 appropriations bills, including the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Bill (Labor-HHS-Education). In total, the FY 2023 House funding bills propose $697.5 million for public broadcasting,which would be an $82 million increase over last year’s funding levels.
Recapping the individual proposed program levels:
Labor-HHS-Education Funding:
• $565 million for CPB’s two-year advance – our full requested increase of $40 million.
• $60 million for public broadcasting interconnection – our full requested increase of $40 million.
• $32.5 million for Ready To Learn – a $2 million increase.
Homeland Security Funding:
• $40 million for the Next Generation Warning System at FEMA to support public broadcasting stations’ public safety infrastructure – our full request.
The House will likely bring the appropriations bills to the House floor for debate and consideration between the July 4th recess and the August recess.
Industry News
Center For Investigative Reporting Cuts 10 Positions, Citing Revenue Shortfall
The Center for Investigative Reporting, which co-produces the public radio show and podcast Reveal, (Sundays at 4pm on WPSU-FM) has eliminated 10 positions due to financial concerns, according to a Friday email to staff from CIR CEO Kaizar Campwala. “Every team in the organization has been impacted by these cuts, and we will be adjusting our output to the realities of a smaller staff,” Campwala told staff in the email.
NPR Board Passes Ambitious Plan To Expand Digital Fundraising, Podcast Subscriptions
The NPR board of directors approved an ambitious plan Friday for the network and its member stations to work together on a host of new digital initiatives, including a forthcoming podcast subscription bundle tied to station membership. The plan, titled the “NPR Network,” directs NPR to use its digital properties to funnel donations and donor leads to member stations and implement new collaborative initiatives around branding and sponsorship. The goal of the plan is to double station membership and total revenue for NPR and participating member stations by 2030. More here.
Cat On The Lam:
BOSTON — A family’s beloved pet cat that’s been dodging airport personnel, airline employees, and animal experts since escaping from a pet carrier at Boston’s Logan International Airport about three weeks ago was finally caught. “Whether out of fatigue or hunger we’ll never know, but this morning she finally let herself be caught,” an airport spokesperson said of the cat named Rowdy in a statement. Rowdy was given a health check and will be returned to her family. Rowdy’s time on the lam began June 24, as Sahli and her husband, Rich, returned to the U.S. from 15 years in Germany with the Army. When their Lufthansa flight landed, the 4-year-old black cat with green eyes escaped her cage, in pursuit of some birds. [AP - 7/13/22]
Big Yawn
“Taking naps sounds so childish. I prefer to call them horizontal life pauses.” – Anonymous
Resources and Tips
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