Amsterdam—city of bikes, boats, and bodies. At least, that’s the way steely-eyed cop Piet van der Valk sees his murder-infested beat. Marc Warren (Beecham House, The Good Wife) stars as the title character in an all-new series based on Nicolas Freeling’s legendary crime thrillers, on Van der Valk, airing in three gripping 90-minute episodes on MASTERPIECE, Sundays, September 13-27, 2020 at 9 on WPSU.
From The GM's Desk
Happy Fall, almost 😊. As I look back on this year thus far, what a whirlwind! We have accomplished so much amid this unpredictable, unprecedented pandemic. Thank you all again for rising to the occasion of showing how wonderfully suited public media, and specifically WPSU, is to be assisting our communities in times of plenty and in times of challenge. I am sure we will have many opportunities in the upcoming months as well and I could not be more proud to lead this organization of outstanding professionals. I know we will continue pushing our limits and developing new skill sets to provide meaningful content, services and support to our communities. May you all stay well and find time to spend with friends and family.
All my best,
Birthdays
Tom Wilson - 9/5
Michele Demaree - 9/7
Andy Grant - 9/9
Isabel Reinert - 9/14
WPSU Radio Highlights
BookMark 9/03 & 9/06 – “How Humans Learn” by Joshua Eyler
On BookMark, the community book review show, WPSU listeners talk about the books they’ve recently enjoyed. This week — a fresh perspective on teaching and learning. Today's book is about the science of learning. Reviewer Kirsten Tekavec is a graduate assistant at WPSU. She is a doctoral student studying teaching and learning in higher education at Penn State.
In Case You Missed It . . .
Penn State Reports 28 New COVID-19 Cases, Comes Close To Daily Asymptomatic Testing Goal
WPSU’s Min Xian reports that Penn State updated its COVID-19 dashboard for the first week of fall semester classes Friday, 8/28. It shows 28 new positive cases from a total of 4,664 tests conducted this week. Symptomatic testing and asymptomatic surveillance testing on students each showed 14 new positive cases this week, with 27 of those on the University Park campus. The remaining case is listed on the Behrend campus in Erie. The dashboard said 160 students with symptoms were tested and 35 are still awaiting results. Full story here.
Take Note: Divine Lipscomb On Improving Support For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Divine Lipscomb is a formerly incarcerated student studying rehabilitation and human services at Penn State. He also works as a special projects coordinator for the Restorative Justice Initiative in the College of Education, where he creates dialogue around the intersection of race, institutional barriers and trauma associated with incarceration. He’s the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Adult Student Award and Stand Up Award from the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State. Listen here.
Students At Penn State Forced To Sign COVID-19 Liability Waiver To Participate In Fall Semester
Sara Simon of Spotlight PA reported on Penn State plans to force students to sign a liability agreement and assume all risk of COVID-19 prior to returning to campus for the fall semester. “I assume any and all risk of exposure to COVID-19 that may result from attending Penn State, or participating in Penn State activities,” the compact says, “and I acknowledge that exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, or death.” Some students and faculty have started speaking out against Penn State’s plans, saying the university’s decision to bring students back to campus — and hold half of all classes with at least some in-person instruction — both disregards the well-being of the Penn State community and threatens the sparse health-care resources available to local residents. Full story here.
WPSU Television Highlights
NOVA: Cat Tales & Dog Tales - Wednesday, September 2 at 8:00 pm
It’s cats and dogs night on WPSU as NOVA explores the relationships between humans and our beloved furry companions. Our Town Hollidaysburg 2020 - Thursday, September 3 at 8:00 pm
The Our Town series travels to Blair County as residents of Hollidaysburg share stories about their town.
The Avett Brothers at Red Rocks - Friday, September 4 at 9:00 pm
Join the three-time Grammy Award nominees for a magical night of music in this stunning natural setting. The band performs an energetic mix of bluegrass, country, pop melodies, folk, indie rock, honky-tonk, and ragtime before a sold-out crowd.
Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 - Saturday, September 5 at 7:30 pm
Celebrate the legendary musical with a stellar cast including Alfie Boe, Nick Jonas, Lea Salonga, Colm Wilkinson, Norm Lewis and Ramin Karimloo. Staged by producer Cameron Mackintosh, the concert was filmed at London's O2 Arena.
ABBA Forever: A Celebration - Sunday, September 6 at 9:30 pm
Celebrate the supergroup with Neil Sedaka, Donny Osmond, Tim Rice and the band members themselves. Featuring a greatest hits soundtrack including "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia!," the program includes original interviews and rare archival footage.
Great Performances “Romeo and Juliet” - Friday, September 11 at 9:00 pm
Experience Shakespeare’s classic as a ballet from choreographer Kenneth MacMillan performed by dancers from The Royal ballet set to a score by Russian composer Sergie Prokofiev and filmed on atmospheric sets and locations throughout Budapest.
Victoria on Masterpiece - Saturday, September 12 at 9:00 pm
The acclaimed first season of Victoria returns to WPSU. As a new queen, the young Victoria struggles to take charge amid plots to manipulate her. Her friendship with the prime minister leads to a crisis in Parliament.
Lucy Worsley’s Palace Secrets - Sunday, September 13 at 7:30 pm
Take an exclusive tour of London's most extraordinary palaces. From the forbidding Tower of London to glorious Hampton Court to treasure-filled Kensington Palace, Lucy takes viewers behind the velvet ropes into each building's most secret places.
Van Der Valk on Masterpiece (Series Premiere) — Sunday, September 13 at 9:00 pm
Brilliant but cynical detective Piet van der Valk solves baffling crimes in 21st-century Amsterdam, which is more prosperous, cosmopolitan and crime-prone than ever.
A More of Less Perfect Union, A Personal Exploration by Judge Douglas Ginsburg - Monday, September 14 at 9:00 pm
This 3-part series examines the struggles and compromises in the creation of the document that protects our liberties. Constitutional experts, “Framers” and everyday Americans weigh in on the rule of law, the branches of government and the debate over originalism.
Frontline "Policing the Police 2020”- Tuesday, September 15 at 9:00 pm
Race, policing, and the struggle to hold departments accountable. In the wake of George Floyd's killing, New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb examines prospects for reform, and returns to the case of one troubled department he first visited in 2016.
Industry News
With A Focus On Civil Rights, Yamiche Alcindor Rises To The Top As A White House Correspondent
Call them “Yamiche moments.” It’s a loose term to describe moments when colleagues say Yamiche Léone Alcindor excels as the White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour. One of Judy Woodruff’s favorites was in March 2019, when during a live broadcast Alcindor texted a key source about the Robert Mueller investigation regarding Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election. Alcindor fired off a request for comment when questions about President Donald Trump came up. “I’m texting with Rudy Giuliani as we’re on air, so excuse that,” Alcindor said with a smile while NewsHour correspondent Lisa Desjardins turned towards the phone. The former New York City mayor turned Trump lawyer messaged “It sounds like it’s over” when Mueller announced he wasn’t recommending any more indictments. Alcindor shared his reply and quickly pivoted to analysis. Read the full story here.
Democrats Beat Republicans In Convention Television Ratings
NPR reports that The GOP lost the TV ratings race last week, as prime time viewership for the Republican National Convention was consistently below figures for the Democratic party's virtual convention last week, according to figures released by Nielsen. Republicans got their largest audience on Thursday, when President Donald Trump accepted his party's nomination for re-election, with an estimated 23.8 million people tuned in from 10 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. across 13 different networks. That was less than the 24.6 million people who watched the night Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for president across 12 networks--one fewer--on the final evening of that party's convention on Aug. 20. Full story here.
Governmental Relations
State Funding News
Check out the new Pennsylvania PBS website here to learn the latest surrounding shared and collaborative projects of the 7 public media stations (including WPSU) who collectively reach 12.4 million Pennsylvanians serving large, diverse, rural and under-served communities.
Our shared Vision Statement: Inspired and empowered by its partners, Pennsylvania PBS will be a keystone in the civic, educational and cultural fabric of the Commonwealth.
Our shared Mission Statement: To leverage, unify and amplify the education mission and collective impact of the 7 PA PBS stations in the lives of all Pennsylvanians.
State-wide funded proposals to the PA Department of Education to align the Continuity of Education for all students utilizing these 7 stations are currently being taken through the proper channels in Harrisburg currently under this recently formed partner organization.
Federal Funding News
From American Public Television Stations (APTS): In late July, Senate Republicans introduced a package of COVID-19 relief bills, known as the HEALS Act, which included our full requested amount of $175 million in additional relief funding for public broadcasting stations.
While negotiations have been underway for the past two weeks between congressional leadership and the White House, these discussions have now stalled, and it is unclear how quickly they will be able to reach an agreement, as there are many substantial differences of opinion regarding what should be included in the final package.
On Thursday, August 13, 2020, the Senate went into recess until September 8, 2020. Senators could still return to vote on a package if one was ready, but at this point, it is not looking very promising that an agreement will be reached before September.
Lite Beer
As wildfires tore through parts of California on Aug. 19, Chad Little of Vacaville and his family prepared to evacuate, but Little changed his mind and decided to stay, he told KCRA. The family is in the process of rebuilding the home they lost five years ago in an attic fire, and "I can't let it go," he said. Little had hoses ready, but when the electricity went out, the water was cut off, so he grabbed a rake to clear away dry grass. As his cars and then his shop began to catch fire, he reached for the only liquid he had -- cans of Bud Light, shaking and spraying them at the fire, dousing the flames just before firefighters arrived. "My buddies all tease me about drinking water-beer," he said. "I say, 'Hey, it saved my shop.'" He also managed to save his home. [KCRA, 8/21/2020]
Quotables
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” - Albert Einstein
Resources and Tips
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