Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders) stars in a six-part mystery as the headstrong, first-ever female detective in Victorian London, who won’t let any naysayers stop her from keeping her father’s business running. Stuart Martin (Jamestown) plays her childhood friend, professional colleague, and potential love interest, Scotland Yard Detective Inspector William Wellington, a.k.a., The Duke. The cast includes Andrew Gower (Poldark, Outlander), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey), Ansu Kabia (World on Fire, The Long Song), and Cathy Belton (Philomena). Premieres January 17 at 8:00 p.m.
From The GM's Desk
I hope everyone had a safe, healthy, relaxing holiday! As we return from our break, I am looking forward to a few things to come in 2021, COVID-19 vaccines being available for everyone (hopefully), our first ever virtual Conn Dinner, continued excellence in radio news reporting and production services, a new transmitter and I’m really hoping to see you all again in the Outreach Building. As the national and world events seem to have been very negative lately, over the holidays, I found it very cathartic to reflect on all the positive things in my life. One of the items often considered was WPSU and its wonderful employees. Thank you for all you do. I am grateful to have you here.
All my best,
Birthdays
1/16 - Susie Apfelbaum
1/29 - Jud Mantz
WPSU Radio Highlights
BookMark 01/21 & 01/24 – "The Woman Who Smashed Codes" by Jason Fagone
BookMark is the community book review show where WPSU listeners talk about the books they’ve recently enjoyed. This week, the story of a woman codebreaker. Reviewer Sarah Paez is a reporter for Tax Notes and a former WPSU intern.
In Case You Missed It . . .
Climate Scientist Michael Mann: U.S. Is In Position To Be A Leader On Climate Change WPSU’s Anne Danahy reported on Mann’s new book, "The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet,” which comes as the country’s climate policy is expected to change with the Biden administration.
Rollout Of COVID-19 Vaccines In Rural Pennsylvania Requires Flexibility And Trust From Communities WPSU’s Min Xian reports on the challenges about how vaccines will reach rural communities and how accepting of the remedy rural residents will be.
Joyal Mulheron and Casey Affleck on the State of Bereavement Care in the U.S. WPSU’s Lindsey Whissel Fenton talked with Joyal Mulheron, who describes bereavement as an “invisible public health crisis." She founded and serves as executive director of Evermore, a non-profit aimed at improving the lives of bereaved families through research, policy, and education. Casey Affleck won an Academy Award for playing a grieving father in Manchester by the Sea and has explored the grief experience in other roles. He uses his celebrity to bring awareness to the plight of grieving families as a victims’ advocate.
Bradford Regional Medical Center To Move Acute Care, Surgical Services To Olean, NY WPSU’s Min Xian reports on the announcement that the Bradford Regional Medical Center will no longer have a surgical department starting in April. The Upper Allegheny Health System said it’s consolidating its acute care and surgical services to Olean General, which is about 20 miles northeast of Bradford. The decision will leave 10 beds in service at the Bradford hospital and will move the sleep study and occupational health services to Bradford.
WPSU Television Highlights
Our Town Hour (Series Premiere) - Saturdays at 3:30 pm starting January 16
Set aside an hour to revisit the people, places and happenings of the unique towns and communities of our area. Each week we’ll showcase one of the featured towns from WPSU’s long-running original production, starting with Bedford (1/16), Bellefonte (1/23), and Bellwood (1/30).
All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece - Sunday, January 17 at 9:00 pm
Fresh from veterinary college, Siegfried's fun-loving brother, Tristan, arrives to help out. Mrs. Pumphrey throws a swanky party.
American Masters “How It Feels to be Free” - Monday, January 18 at 9:00 pm
Explore the lives and trailblazing careers of iconic African American entertainers Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier, who changed American culture through their films, fashion, music and politics.
Finding Your Roots “To the Manor Born” - Tuesday, January 19 at 8:00 pm
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discovers the privileged lineages that claim actor Glenn Close and director John Waters as descendants, introducing ancestors who are as bold and independent as they are.
Frontline “President Biden” - Tuesday, January 19 at 10:00 pm
The story of how crisis and tragedy prepared Joe Biden to become America's next president. Those who know him best describe the searing moments that shaped President Elect Biden and what they reveal about how he will govern American Experience “Codebreaker” - Sunday, January 24 at 7:00 pm
Discover the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst who helped bring down Al Capone and break up a Nazi spy ring in South America. Her work help lay the foundation for modern codebreaking today.
POV “The Mole Agent” - Monday, January 25 at 9:30 pm
Follow a private investigator hired to go undercover inside a nursing home as he struggles to balance his assignment with his increasing involvement in the lives of other residents.
Frontline “Trump’s American Carnage” - Wednesday, January 27 at 10:00 pm
From his first days as president to his last, how Trump stoked division, violence, and insurrection. Trump's siege on his enemies, the media, and even the leaders of his own party, who for years ignored the warning signs of what was to come.
In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl “Jazz at The Hollywood Bowl” - Friday, January 29 at 9:00 pm
Performances by Dianne Reeves, Ivan Lins, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana and more are featured.
Governmental Relations
APTS Federal Update
The 117th Congress convened on January 3, 2021. Chaos ensued on January 6, as rioters violently besieged the U.S. Capitol building during the certification of the Electoral College. Determined not to let the insurgents stop the democratic process and the work of Congress, both the House and Senate reconvened and worked late into the night, ultimately certifying the election.
Leadership Changes
The change in partisan control of the U.S. Senate with last Tuesday’s election of two Democratic Senators from Georgia results now in a 50-50 partisan split with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking authority on any votes. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), a long-time, ardent supporter of public broadcasting, will be the new Senate Majority Leader.
With the change of Senate control, Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) will be the new Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Leahy received the APTS Champion of Public Broadcasting Award at the 2017 Public Media Summit.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) will become the new Chair of both the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee (Labor-HHS-Education), which oversees funding for public broadcasting, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which has authority over all education authorization issues, including Ready To Learn.
On the House side, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) — a 2020 Champion of Public Broadcasting — has been elected Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and she is expected to also continue to serve as the Chair of the House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee.
Appropriations Outlook
The FY 2022 appropriations process will be underway very shortly. As a reminder, the FY 2021 Appropriations bill contained $475 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in FY 2023, an increase of $10 million. This increase follows last year’s $20 million increase – the first in over a decade.
The bill also contained $29.5 million in funding for Ready To Learn, an increase of $500,000. In addition, our full funding request of $20 million was included for Interconnection.
Due to the incredibly slim majorities in both the House and Senate, the annual appropriations process could be very contentious, but APTS will be working to continue to grow the strong bipartisan support for our funding.
Industry News
PBS Distances Itself From Former Staff Attorney Ensnared In Project Veritas Sting
Project Veritas, a group founded by conservative activist James O’Keefe, has released a video of a former PBS attorney disparaging supporters of President Donald Trump and discussing the need to reeducate their children. Michael Beller, identified in the video as a “principal counsel” of PBS, was recorded during conversations with a woman that Project Veritas describes as a journalist. In the video released Tuesday, he discusses different outcomes of the presidential election. In a fragmented statement in which Beller appears to be responding to a question about Democratic candidate Joe Biden losing the election, he describes going to the White House to throw Molotov cocktails.
PBS issued a statement about Beller on Facebook and Twitter. “This employee no longer works for PBS. As a mid-level staff attorney, he did not speak on behalf of our organization, nor did he make any editorial decisions,” the statement said. “There is no place for hateful rhetoric at PBS, and this individual’s views in no way reflect our values or opinions,” PBS continued. “We strongly condemn violence and will continue to do what we have done for 50 years — use our national platform and local presence to strengthen communities and bring people together.”
Why Parents Are Celebrating The Departure Of PBS’ ‘Caillou’
Who will mourn for Caillou? Not parents, that’s for certain. Whether their children are young or already grown, parents across the world greeted with glee the news that PBS has finally canceled Caillou, an animated show about a bald young boy, after 20 years on the air.
“He is bratty, has tantrums and is often unkind. His entire world revolves around himself and his own needs and desires,” said Joanna Schroeder, an L.A.-based writer and media critic who focuses on parenting and gender.
If children’s television icons like Mister Rogers and his protégé Daniel Tiger, star of the current PBS hit Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, demonstrate values like social skills (how to share toys and play together), emotional development (coping with stress) and clear communication (talking about your problems), Caillou offers whatever is the opposite of a role model. More here.
Jailhouse Rock Anyone?
The house for sale at 43 Courthouse Drive in Guildhall, Vermont, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an updated kitchen and seven jail cells, complete with barred windows, toilets and cots. United Press International reported that the property, listed for $149,000, used to serve as the Essex County jail, with the jailer's quarters attached to the back of the house. Out of use since 1969, the cells are now covered in dust and, according to the listing, just waiting for a creative buyer to "bring ... ideas on what this 28-foot-by-40-foot wing could be!" [United Press International, 12/30/2020]
Quotables
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.” - Dr. Martin Luther King
Resources and Tips
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