Masterpiece - Endeavour
After ten phenomenally successful years, producers Mammoth Screen, screenwriter Russell Lewis, Shaun Evans and Roger Allam have mutually decided to bring the internationally renowned Endeavour to a close with Season 9, which premieres on Sunday, June 18 at 9pm. A prequel to the beloved Inspector Morse series, Endeavour first aired on MASTERPIECE on PBS in 2012 as a single film. Since then 32 more films have been broadcast with a further three currently in production, bringing the total to 36.
Birthdays
Rebecca Woolfrey - 6/20
Adam Simpson - 6/26
Mike Taranto - 6/30
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
Why Some Lawmakers Think This Will Be The Year Pa. Raises Its Minimum Wage
Stephen Caruso reported on how after years of arguments and a near-deal in 2019, Democrats in the Pennsylvania legislature say it’s now just a matter of time before Republicans agree to vote in favor of raising the state’s minimum wage. At the moment, Pennsylvania’s wage floor is $7.25 an hour — the same as the federal minimum. The legislature last increased the state’s minimum wage in 2006, and every neighboring state currently has a higher wage floor. Read here.
Pennsylvania House OKs $100 Million For Adult Mental Health Services
The Associated Press reported on A proposal to allocate $100 million in federal funds to pay for adult mental health programs easily passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday, a plan built on the recommendations of a state commission charged with issuing suggestions for coordinated care. The bill passed 173-30 and was sent to the Senate. A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said that he supports the legislation. Read here.
Sandy Township in Clearfield County Files A Complaint, Asking Court To Delay Merger With DuBois
WPSU Anne Danahy reported on a civil complaint in the Court of Common Pleas in Clearfield County, asking for a delay in its planned merger with the City of DuBois in light of the criminal charges the DuBois manager is facing and questions about the city’s finances. Read here.
WPSU Television Highlights
Ridley (Series Premiere) — Sundays at 8:00 PM, starting June 18
DI Alex Ridley, who retired from the police force after years of dedicated service, is enticed back to work by his former protege DI Carol Farman, reviving their formidable and successful partnership. Created by Paul Matthew Thompson, this thought-provoking original series is inspired by real-life retired detectives re-joining police forces in consultancy roles.
Endeavour on Masterpiece (Season 9 Premiere) — Sundays at 9:00 PM, starting June 18
Shaun Evans and Roger Allam return for the ninth and final season of the critically acclaimed detective drama Endeavour. Set in the early 1970s, the final season finds Endeavour and Thursday entering a new era of change both professionally and personally with the return of some familiar faces along the way including Sam, played by Jack Bannon (Pennyworth), who arrives back from Northern Ireland following his service in the British Army.
The Great American Recipe (Season 2 Premiere) — Mondays at 9:00 PM, starting June 19
Meet a new group of home cooks from across the country as they compete to win "The Great American Recipe." This week's challenges include preparing a dish that defines who they are and cooking a recipe that showcases their geographical region.
Fire on the Hill — Monday, June 19 at 10:00 PM
A critically-acclaimed documentary that paints the stories of three Black Cowboys in South Central LA and how they each find purpose, hope, and freedom through the cowboy lifestyle.
Below the Belt: The Last Health Taboo — Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00 PM
Through the lens of endometriosis, examine the widespread problems in our healthcare systems that disproportionately affect women. This film reveals how millions are silenced and how, by fighting back, they can improve healthcare for all women.
Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland (Season Two) — Fridays at 9:00 PM, starting June 23
Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming are back rip-roaring across Scotland... and beyond! They ride the Harry Potter Express steam train and head to the glorious Cairngorms National Park before Alan conducts an LGBTQ+ wedding.
American Experience “Casa Susanna” — Tuesday, June 27 at 9:00 PM
In the 1950s and 60s, when failure to wear gender-appropriate clothing was illegal across most of the country, a community of cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Named after its matriarch, Casa Susanna provided community and validation for its guests.
Governmental Relations
What We Know So Far ...
Now that the Federal debt ceiling legislation has been signed into law, Congress is resuming discussions on its appropriations bills. Advocates represented by House Appropriators have told their Members of Congress why the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) is necessary for the emergency response efforts of local communities, but now we need key advocates to tell their Senators to support this critical program.
The debt ceiling law establishes nondefense and defense spending caps for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and 2025 at levels roughly equivalent to FY 2023 for FY 2024, with very minimal increases for FY 2025. Based on the spending caps in the legislation, we still expect a very challenging fiscal environment for public media funding for FY 2024.
Recently, the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee provided $40 million for NGWS, matching the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 level, but a reduction of $16 million from the FY 2023 level. House Appropriations Committee bill mark ups and the development of the Senate appropriations bills had been on pause to focus on the debt ceiling negotiations.
Stay tuned.
Industry News
Court Dismisses Lawsuit Alleging PBS Violated Digital Subscribers’ Privacy
A class-action lawsuit claiming that PBS violated the privacy of digital subscribers was dismissed Friday.
According to court records, plaintiff Jazmine Harris agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice. Both parties will pay their own legal fees. PBS declined to comment on the resolution, while Harris’ lawyers did not respond to requests for comment.
In her initial complaint, filed in June, Harris asserted that PBS violated the Video Privacy Protection Act when it used Facebook tracking technology to collect personal data about her and other “subscribers” to its website, including which videos they watched. The lawsuit alleged that PBS matched that information with users’ Facebook identification before transmitting their personal information to Meta, the company that operates Facebook, without users’ knowledge or consent. The data was then used to deliver targeted ad messages to PBS subscribers, according to the lawsuit.
The parties filed a joint motion to stay proceedings April 14 in an effort to resolve “this matter amicably,” according to the filing. The court approved the motion and postponed discovery.
New Campaign Highlights Importance Of AM Radio
NAB launched a new campaign to amplify the voices of the 82 million Americans that AM radio reaches each month and highlight the importance of AM radio in the car for news, community engagement, entertainment and vital public safety information. Visit here for more information.
Stop Hoggin' Everything Will Ya?
CANTONMENT, Fla. — Animal control officers rounded up more than 600 pigs from an animal sanctuary in Florida after their overwhelmed owner called for help. It took nearly four days for officers in Escambia County to capture so many pigs on the 8-acre (3.2-hectare) property used by In Loving Swineness Sanctuary, said John Robinson, the county’s animal control director.
Last year, the sanctuary had about 150 miniature pigs that its owners were using to remove invasive cogon grass around the Florida Panhandle community of Cantonment, the Pensacola News Journal reported. The pigs proved to be prolific procreators. Their population had grown so large, Robinson said, that the sanctuary operator called his agency last week saying: “I can’t take this anymore.” During the roundup, the pigs showed “zero interest” in cooperating with animal control officers, who left several of the larger hogs behind to ensure nobody got hurt, Robinson said. [AP - 6/8/23]
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