It is estimated to contain 100–400 billion stars and at least that number of planets. Our Solar System is located at a radius of about 27,000 light-years from the Galactic Center, on the inner edge of the Orion Arm, one of the spiral-shaped concentrations of gas and dust. NOVA travels back in time to unlock the turbulent story of our cosmic neighborhood, from its birth in a whirling disk of clouds and dust to colossal collisions with other galaxies. Wednesday, November 3, at 9 pm. (Photo: Hubble Space Telescope/NASA)
Birthdays
Chrissy Moyer – Nov. 3
Laura Miller – Nov. 3
Sarah Caterson – Nov. 5
Michele Chernega – Nov. 8
Toni Irvin – Nov. 9
WPSU Radio Highlights
No Compromise - Friday Nights at 8pm Beginning 11/5
Join NPR correspondent Sarah McCammon and reporters Lisa Hagen and Chris Haxel for a six-part series exploring the world of Second Amendment advocates who believe that the National Rifle Association is ‘too soft’ on guns.
In Case You Missed It . . .
Pitt-Bradford Restores A 19th Century Painting, Lost For Half A Century And Found In A Bradford Warehouse WPSU’s Kristine Allen tells the story of a 19th century painting, lost for more than 50 years, that was rediscovered in a warehouse in Bradford near the start of the pandemic. Conservators spent a year and a half restoring the damaged work to its full glory. And on Friday, October 29th, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will reveal the painting and a premiere a documentary about the restoration.
Take Note: Mark Anner On The Fight For Workers' Rights In The Global Garment Industry On this episode of Take Note, Mark Anner, Penn State professor and researcher, talks about working towards improved workers' rights in the garment industry. He shares a few harrowing stories and the background on the Covid-19 tracker which encouraged big brand clothing companies to #payup their cancelled Covid-19 orders with global factories.
Democracy Works: A Better Way To Fix Gerrymandering
Chris Fowler is an associate professor of geography at Penn State and a member of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's Redistricting Advisory Council. His research examines the way our choices about geographic boundaries shape the outcomes we are able to observe. He examine neighborhoods, school catchment areas, electoral districts, metropolitan areas, and labor markets with a focus on how these units of observation reflect the distribution of populations in space. Listen here.
WPSU Television Highlights
When Patsy Cline was Crazy - Monday, November 1 at 9:00 pm
An acclaimed documentary about an American music icon, Patsy Cline. From humble roots, she grew into that rare and mythical artist - a self-taught singer with a distinctive, precise, disciplined voice and a unique depth of emotional expression.
Nature “The Elephant and the Termite” - Wednesday, November 3 at 8:00 pm
Witness the dramas of Africa's great wildlife meeting place -- the waterhole. From mighty elephants to tiny termites, an entire community of creatures call the waterhole their home.
NOVA Universe Revealed “Milky Way” - Wednesday, November 3 at 9:00 pm
Straddling the night sky, the Milky Way reminds us of our place in the galaxy we call home. But what shaped this giant spiral of stars and what will be its destiny? NOVA travels back in time to unlock the turbulent story of our cosmic neighborhood, from its birth in a whirling disk of clouds and dust to colossal collisions with other galaxies.
Family Night: Space - Thursday, November 4 at 6:00 pm
When you think about jobs related to space, you may picture an astronaut walking on the moon. But there are so many other careers related to space that do not involve a space suit. So, if you and your children want to learn more about the exciting field of aerospace and you’re looking for a way to create some fun family memories, don’t miss Family Night: Space.
The Oratorio: A Documentary with Martin Scorcese - Friday, November 5 at 9:00 pm
Martin Scorsese reveals the story of a single performance in 1826 that forever changed America's cultural landscape with the introduction of Italian opera to New York City -- an event Mozart's great librettist helped organize. Taking place in Scorsese's childhood church, this watershed event was lost to history for almost 200 years, but has been rediscovered and the 'lost oratorio" will be restaged.
Da Ponte's Oratorio: A Concert for New York - Friday, November 5 at 10:00 pm:
The performance that introduced Italian opera to New York is restaged by an Italian opera company.
American Veteran “The Return” - Tuesday, November 9 at 9:00 pm
Hollywood war stories seem to end with the hero's triumphant return, but in reality, the road back to civilian life is often less certain. Hosted by actor, Vietnam War veteran and Native American activist Wes Studi.
Great Performances “A John Williams Premiere at Tanglewood” - Friday, November 12 at 9:00 pm
Experience a concert of works by legendary composer John Williams from Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home at Tanglewood including Williams' new violin concerto performed by virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter and other works conducted by Andris Nelsons.
Antiques Roadshow “Best of 25” - Monday, November 15 at 8:00 pm
Celebrate 25 years of ROADSHOW with some of our best appraisals from the last two and a half decades like a Sanford Robinson Gifford oil, a Rolex Oyster Cosmograph, and an 1871-1872 Boston Red Stockings archive. Which is valued at $1,000,000?
Industry News
Art Ellis Promoted to SVP and Chief Marketing Officer For WHYY in Philadelphia.
Ellis joined the station in 1987 as a publicist and later became executive director for communications and brand management. He has been VP of communications and member relations since 2014. “Art will be expected to find new ways to leverage our marketing and awareness investments along with further increasing the productivity of our membership tactics and management systems,” WHYY CEO Bill Marrazzo said in a release.
Continuous Operation Mandate Harms LPTVs, Owners Say
A new Federal Communications Commission rule that requires low-power television stations (LPTVs) to operate continuously for 12 months following their license approval will harm LPTV operations, the LPTV Broadcasters Association says. The organization, which was formed in August, is urging members to seek legal advice about the requirement's ramifications. Full story here.
Governmental Relations
FEDERAL
The fluid situation continues but there is optimism for increased public media funding at this point. The chairs of several Senate appropriations subcommittees released their drafts of the FY 2022 appropriation bills.
Our lobbying organization, APTS reports the Labor-HHS-Education draft bill included the full $90 million increase requested for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for a total funding level of $565 million. The bill also included the full $30 million Ready To Learn request and the $20 million for Interconnection. These funding levels match or exceed those passed by the full House of Representatives earlier this year.
APTS states these levels put us at the best possible position going into the final negotiations for passage.
Continued Resolution (CR) funding all government programs on a temporary basis, expires December 3rd. The final FY2022 appropriations bills will either need to be passed by that date, or an additional CR will be needed. WPSU receives federal funding through CPB. APTS will keep stations apprised as this process continues.
STATE
The October 19th meeting with President pro Tempore Jake Corman and Representatives from Pennsylvania PBS including WPSU was rescheduled to a future date TBD. All PA PBS stations continue to advocate for increased state funding for public media.
Flight of Fancy?
Ohio printed out 35,000 new license plates before realizing a banner depicted on the plate was attached to the wrong end of the Wright Brothers’ historic first plane, the Wright Flyer. State officials acknowledged the error immediately after the new plates were unveiled on Thursday, releasing a photo of the corrected plate. But a state spokesperson said that 35,000 plates were already printed, WBNS-TV reported. “We will recycle the 35,000 plates that had been printed. It is too early to know about if there will be any additional cost,” said Lindsey Bohrer, assistant director of communications with the Ohio Department of Public Safety. {AP - 10/25/21]
Quoteables
“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet to see who they really are.” —Will Ferrell
Resources and Tips
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