Editor's Note: There will not be an edition of NOOZ on August 15th. The editor will be attending his 50th high school reunion. (Actually it's the 52nd as the 50th was cancelled due to COVID.) Extended highlights for August TV programming are included in this edition. The NOOZ will return on September 1.
Midsomer Murders: “Send in the Clowns”
The circus is coming to town and DCI Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) is taking his family despite his fear of clowns. The family day out turns into a murder mystery as one of clown shoots the other during their act. It should be an open and shut case; he had a motive and he shot the man in front of an audience... the only problem is that he fired a blank and there is a very real bullet in the corpse. Airs Thursday, August 11 at 8:00 pm.
Birthdays
8/3 - Jessie Beers-Altman
8/5 - Jeremy Smith
8/16 - Rob Butler
8/30 - Clint Yoder
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
The Pa. General Assembly Wants You To Know Where Your In-State Tuition Discount Comes From
Tuition bills for Pennsylvanians who go to Penn State or one of the other state-related universities will come with a new footnote this coming year. Under the state's fiscal code, those schools have to tell the students they’re getting a discount — thanks to the state. “If you are a P-A resident student and therefore get an in-state rate, as opposed to an out-of-state rate, the tuition bill must note that that’s due in large part to an appropriation from the General Assembly," said Zack Moore, Penn State’s vice president for government and community relations, during the July board of trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning meeting. WPSU’s Anne Danahy has the story.
Take Note: Jason Doll On The Increased Suicide Risk For Veterinary Professionals WPSU's Lindsey Whistle Fenton talks with Dr. Jason Doll about the suicide crisis in veterinary medicine, about the stressors that contribute to it, and about the organizations working to provide education and support.
Unresolved Issues Have Pa. Election Experts Planning For A Rough 2022 Midterm
WHYY’s Katie Meyer reports on the issues that plagued Pennsylvania’s elections two years ago. County and state administrators and election experts have mostly agreed on the best ways to make sure those problems don’t happen again. Two of the most common solutions are changing state law to give counties more time to tabulate ballots, and to clarify exactly which ballots should and shouldn’t be counted. But despite the state legislature spending a lot of time in the past two years discussing elections, however, those things haven’t happened. Full story.
WPSU Television Highlights
POV “He’s My Brother” — Monday, August 1 at 10:00 pm
Explore how Christine works to assure dignified lives for herself and her brother Peter, born with multiple disabilities, while she faces uncertainties about becoming his primary caregiver.
Frontline “Life Under Russia’s Attack” — Tuesday, August 2 at 10:00 pm
A dramatic and intimate look inside the Russian assault on Kharkiv. Told by displaced families trying to survive underground, civilians caught in the fight, and first responders risking their lives amid the shelling of Ukraine's second largest city.
The Green Planet “Human Worlds” — Wednesday, August 3 at 8:00 pm
Sir David Attenborough reveals how humans are helping plants, many of which face extinction. From projects in Africa to re-seeding the landscape to rebuilding a Brazilian rainforest tree by tree, everyone can work to make our world a little wilder.
Midsomer Murders “Send in the Clowns” — Thursday, August 11 at 8:00 pm
Things take a gruesome turn when Ferabbees Circus comes to town, bringing sinister clown sightings, threatening notes and circus acts. Barnaby will have to face up to his fears in order to solve the case.
The Great American Recipe (Season Finale) — Friday, August 12 at 9:00 pm
It's time for the season finale as the three remaining cooks go head-to-head to win "The Great American Recipe." They'll have some surprise helpers for their final chance to wow the judges with a very special dinner.
Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream — Sunday, August 14 at 8:00 pm
Matzo is a staple and hallmark of Jewish cuisine and culture. STREIT'S: MATZO AND THE AMERICAN DREAM spotlights the iconic Streit's factory in New York, a fifth-generation family business that resiliently stays true to tradition, churning water into flour using ovens as old as the factory itself.
Grantchester on Masterpiece (Season Finale) -- Sunday, August 14 at 8:00 pm
Another homeless man is found dead and killed in the same manner as the previous victims. Geordie and Will realize that they may have sent the wrong man to prison, and the real killer may still be at large.
Wild Weather – Wednesday, August 17 at 8:00 pm
Watch an innovative documentary that illustrates how weather works by performing brave, ambitious (even unlikely) experiments that show how nature transforms simple ingredients like wind, water and temperature into something spectacular and powerful.
American Masters: Lennon Nyc – Friday, August 19 at 9:00 pm
Learn the story of one of the most famous and influential artists of the 20th century and how he found redemption not in the public adoration he craved as a youth, but in the quiet and simple pleasures of fatherhood.
Queen Elizabeth's Secret Agents – Sunday, August 21 from 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
A three-part series that uncovers the secret state that helped keep Queen Elizabeth in power for over 40 years. During a time when Britain was divided, unstable and violent the world’s first secret service was born. Run by William and Robert Cecil, this father and son team had the duty of protecting the Queen and the Country.
Doo Wop, Pop and Soul Generations -- Sunday, August 28 at 6:00 pm
It's a celebration of classic music, combining the best music from great eras.
Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert Celebration: All In For The Gambler – Monday, August 29 at 9:30 pm
This concert brought together fans, friends and music icons to celebrate Kenny Rogers’ final farewell to Nashville. The program features performances by Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Idina Menzel, Lady A, Lionel Richie, Reba McEntire, and Kenny Rogers along with many other special guests. Songs include "The Gambler," "Lucille," "Islands in the Stream," "Lady" and "We Got Tonight."
Industry News
PBS Press Tour
PBS President Paula Kerger ushered in the opening day of the Television Critics Association emphasizing that PBS’ mission of educating and being inclusive remains paramount. While for some press tours Kerger has had to to counter politicians’ threats to slash funding for public broadcasting, she didn’t dwell on that in her Wednesday virtual executive session. Fundraising is a constant concern, she said, and for some stations government funding makes up half of their budget. “I never make the assumption that this isn’t something that we need to continually work at,” Kerger said, referring to federal funding for public broadcasting. President Lyndon Johnson, whose legacy includes passage of the Public Broadcasting Act, envisioned public broadcasting as a public-private partnership, where federal funding “would ensure that we have public television stations in communities across the country, and that this would not be limited just by the economics of those areas,” she said. “I would argue that it’s even more the case now than it was when public broadcasting was created.”
Upgrades To PBS Passport Seen As Only One Part Of The Solution To Public TV’s Fundraising Challenges
As public TV stations face steeper challenges in attracting new viewers and donors, fundraising leaders are looking to digital platforms as the best bet for building membership revenues. PBS is working on several technological upgrades to PBS Passport, its streaming service for station donors, that will begin rolling out later this year. The member benefit, available to viewers who contribute at least $60 annually to their local PBS station, has been a boon for growing public TV’s membership files, but that growth is slowing, according to an analysis presented July 20 by Contributor Development Partnership during the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in Chicago. Full story here.
Maryland Public Television Provides Free Audio Of Public Affairs Programs To Radio Stations
Maryland Public Television has started a new service that provides audio files of its public affairs programs to public and commercial radio stations at no cost. Four radio stations, two public and two commercial, have subscribed to the MPT Regional Radio Service, according to MPT. The stations receive the audio files of MPT’s weekly public affairs programs Direct Connection and State Circle. They can also access files of broadcasts that air on the statewide network less frequently, such as political debates and town hall meetings.
Governmental Relations
Federal Update
Last week, Senate Appropriations draft bills were submitted providing for $565 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal year (FY) 2025 and $40 million for FY 2023 for the Next Generation Warning System at FEMA to support public broadcasting stations’ public safety infrastructure.
The draft Senate bill providing appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies also includes $30.5 million in FY 2023 for Ready To Learn and $60 for public broadcasting interconnection.
The House Appropriations Committee has already approved nearly identical funding levels for FY 2023, except for a $32.5 million appropriation for Ready To Learn.
Guess He Needed Coffee Money
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — A Northern California burglar returned to the scene of the crime this weekend after he forgot his keys inside a doughnut company’s corporate office. The thief stole some petty cash from Johnny Doughnuts’ office in the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday night, police said. In another twist, he also grabbed the keys to a bakery vehicle, but didn’t steal the vehicle itself. San Rafael police are seeking the public’s help to identify the burglar, who used an unknown tool to “manipulate” the office’s doorknob and get inside around 10 p.m., according to Lt. Dan Fink. The crime was reported to police on Monday. Surveillance video shows the man moving between the office and a back storage area, where he pried open a filing cabinet, Fink said. Craig Blum, founder of Johnny Doughnuts, said his company plans to deliver a few dozen doughnuts to the San Rafael police officers “who came to our aid to ensure that we can continue serving our community hand-crafted doughnuts without interruption.” “It was an unfortunate incident, but we’re glad no doughnuts or team members were harmed,” Blum said. “Sometimes even the thought of a doughnut makes you do crazy things.” [AP - 7/26/22]
A Hot Time
"The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” – Sue Monk Kidd
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