Ella Fitzgerald was a 15 year-old street kid when she won a talent contest in 1934 at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Within months she was a star. “Ella: Just One of Those Things” follows her extraordinary journey over six decades as her sublime voice transforms the tragedies of her own life and the troubles of her times into joy. Airs Tuesday, June 8 at 9:30 pm.
Birthdays
6/4 Cheraine Stanford
6/5 Matt Chirdon
6/9 Chris Murrell
6/12 Mark Stitzer
WPSU Radio Highlights
Trans in the Eyes of God, Part One: Toni Newman - Friday, June 11, 8:00pm
Toni Newman grew up in a strict, southern Christian household. But when Toni came out as a gay man in college, family and church relationships were strained. And then, Toni came to realize she was really a transgender woman, not gay. She says she lost her friends in the gay community and felt the whole world turn away: "Not only did I lose my natural family, my church family, I lost my gay family.” In the past decade, public opinion on LGBT issues, like same-sex marriage, has changed drastically. But the growing acceptance of the L, the G, and the B has not necessarily extended to the T -- transgender people. That may be because being transgender is not a sexual orientation, but a gender identity; it isn't about who you love, it's about who you are. We talk to two journalists and two researchers on how Americans and their religious communities are still working through the complexities of gender identity.
In Case You Missed It . . .
Democracy Works: There Is No "I" In Democracy Jenna Spinelle talks with Shaylyn Romney Garrett who is a writer, speaker and changemaker pursuing connection, community, and healing in a fragmented world. She is the co-author with Robert Putnam of "The UpSwing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again," which charts what the authors describe as the "I-We-I" curve in American democratic engagement and civic life.
Penn State Study Finds 1 In 4 Pennsylvanians Won't Get COVID-19 Vaccine WPSU Intern Matt Disanto reports on a study led by Penn State Harrisburg researchers, who surveyed more than 1,000 Pennsylvanians to learn about vaccine hesitancy – an umbrella term describing those who “probably” or “definitely” will not get vaccinated. They found significant differences between regions and demographics.
Take Note: Gabrielle Foreman And Jim Casey On The Colored Conventions Project On this Take Note, hear about the Colored Conventions Project. For much of the 19th Century, African Americans gathered in cities across the United States to participate in state and national-level political meetings that went far beyond slavery and conventional racial narratives to discuss education, labor, and what true equal citizenship would look like. Gabrielle Foreman and Jim Casey, two Penn State professors who’ve spent the past 10 years collecting the historical records of these meetings, are the guests.
WPSU Television Highlights
NOVA “Ship that Changed the World” - Wenesday, June 2 at 8:00 pm
Historians explore the major evolution that overturned traditional ship designs five centuries ago.
Midsomer Murders - Thursday, June 3 at 8:00 pm
A forest ranger suffers a strange death and UFO spotters are convinced that aliens are responsible.
American Masters “Ballerina Boys” - Friday, June 4 at 9:00 pm
Discover Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (The Trocks), an all-male company that for 45 years has offered audiences ballet classics mixed with exuberant comedy. With every step they poke fun at their strictly gendered art form.
Agatha and the Truth of Murder - Sunday, June 6 at 8:00 pm
Join the crime writer as she investigates the murder of Florence Nightingale's goddaughter during her 11-day disappearance in 1926. Christie's involvement in the case influenced her later work. Starring Ruth Bradley as Agatha Christie.
Monty Python: Best Bits Celebrated - Monday, June 7 at 8:00 pm (repeats Saturday, June 12 at 8:00 pm)
Explore the cultural legacy and influence of the British comedy troupe. Celebrities discuss, laugh, and reminisce about various Monty Python segments, connecting the group’s work to today’s most successful television humor.
Great Performances - Andrea Bocelli: Believe - Tuesday, June 8 at 8:00 pm
Enjoy the songs of the internationally beloved tenor's 2020 album recorded on location in Malta. Selections performed include "Gratia Plena," a duet with Cecilia Bartoli, and new interpretations of "Ave Maria" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things - Tuesday, June 8 at 9:30 pm
Follow the six-decade journey of the extraordinary performer as her sublime voice transforms the tragedies and troubles of her life into joy. Interviews include Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson and Fitzgerald's son, Ray Brown, Jr.
Our Town: Portage 2021 - Thursday, June 10 at 8:00 pm
WPSU returns to Portage to visit the people, places and happenings of this central Pennsylvania town.
Journey Through the Finger Lakes - Sunday, June 13 at 5:30 pm
Take a journey through lush topography and learn of the cultural landscape, seminal moments, singular institutions and visionary icons that make up the rich tapestry of this extraordinary place.
Governmental Relations
On Friday, President Biden released his first full budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). The budget proposes:
• level funding of $475 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• level funding of $20 million for public broadcasting interconnection, and
• level funding of $29.5 million for Ready To Learn.
The budget did not include funding for the Next Generation Warning System that the public media system is seeking to support public broadcasting’s public safety infrastructure.
While these proposals do not reflect the increases we are seeking from Congress, they represent a reasonable first step in the appropriations process which the Senate and House will follow over the next several months. And they are nearly $525 million more than the previous Administration had proposed for public broadcasting in the past four years.
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) are very proud of the broad bipartisan support we have already built for our FY22 funding requests in Congress.
In the House of Representatives, 149 bipartisan Members (including Cong. GT Thompson) sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting $565 million for CPB (a $90 million increase), $20 million for Interconnection and $30 million for Ready To Learn. Additionally, 51 House Members signed a letter in support of our $20 million public safety infrastructure request.
The Senate letter, which is currently circulating, already has 23 bipartisan signatures (including Senator Casey) in support of our funding.
How to Help
After four years of proposals to cut public media funding, Public media is off to a promising start. Friday, President Biden recommended preserving investments in local public media stations as part of his annual budget to Congress. Now, the ball is in Congress’s court. Urge your legislators to build on the President’s proposal by increasing public media funding.
Survey Shows Spike In Violence Against Journalists
Broadcast journalists faced record levels of violence and harassment during the past year and 86% of news directors implemented changes in an effort to keep their staff safe as they covered civil unrest and protests amid the pandemic, a survey from the Radio Television Digital News Association indicates. The role of broadcast journalists in covering pivotal historical moments "has never been more important," National Association of Broadcasters CEO Gordon Smith says. Full story here.
FCC Makes Radio A Priority Under Acting Chair
President Joe Biden has yet to nominate a permanent head of the Federal Communications Commission, but acting chair Jessica Rosenworcel has moved forward with many items on the agency's agenda, including radio-related updates to disclosure rules for foreign content, changes to the Emergency Alert System and giving the OK for a radio auction. NAB expressed its appreciation for the FCC's focus on consensus items as it awaits President Biden's appointment of a full slate of commissioners. Full story here.
Department of Redundancy Department
After years of fighting and litigation over who can include “Orlando” in the name of their central Florida airport, Orlando International Airport officials and Orlando Melbourne International Airport officials have tentatively agreed that Orlando Melbourne International Airport will change its name to Melbourne Orlando International Airport. The Melbourne Airport Authority announced the Space Coast airport’s new name Friday. The name change was legally agreed upon to everyone’s mutual satisfaction in a consent and license agreement, officials said. It must be approved by both airport boards. [AP - 5/28/2021]
Quoteables
"How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” — Dr. Seuss
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