Changing Planet
Join conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan for the beginning of an ambitious 7-year project, a global environmental health check of six of Earth’s bellwether biomes. From the Arctic to the Amazon, these vulnerable habitats are changing, revealing surprising animal behaviors as species adapt. On his journey he meets the inspiring scientists and communities working to bring about positive change. Premieres Wednesday, April 20 at 8:00 pm.
Birthdays
4/21 - Mike Madden and Tamra Fatemi
4/27 - Kris Allen
4/30 - Jill Hockenberry
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
Democracy Works: The Roots Of Radical Partisanship
In the new book "Radical American Partisanship," Lilliana Mason and Nathan Kalmoe bring together four years of studying radicalism among ordinary American partisans. They draw on new evidence—as well as insights from history, psychology, and political science—to put our present partisan fractiousness in context and to explain broad patterns of political and social change. Jenna Spinelle hosts.
State College Area Connector Project Options Elicit Strong Opinions
PennDOT recently hosted two public meetings to get public input on the State College Area Connector Project. The project aims to improve traffic and safety on U.S. Route 322 east of town where it’s still a two-lane road. PennDOT is considering nine options that include upgrading Route 322 or building alternative corridors along Route 322 or Route 144. WPSU’s Madeline Miller reports.
WPSU Television Highlights
Mary Berry “Country House Secrets” - Mondays at 9:00 pm starting April 18
Mary Berry is given an exclusive invitation to some of the UK’s most lavish country houses starting with Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey. Inspired by what she discovers, Mary takes to the estate kitchen where she creates a delicious spread from raspberry tartlets to gamekeeper's stew and an elaborate menu for a grand finale dinner.
Frontline “The Power of Big Oil” (A three-part series) -Tuesdays at 10:00 pm starting April 19
The fossil fuel industry's history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. Part one of a three-part series tracing decades of casting doubt on the science, missed opportunities and the ongoing attempts to hold Big Oil to account.
Changing Planet -Wednesday, April 20 at 8:00 pm
Join conservationist M. Sanjayan for a global environmental health check of seven of Earth’s bellwether biomes, from the Arctic to the Amazon.
Family Night: Weather and Climate - Friday April 22 at 6:00 pm
K-5 graders and their families will learn about weather and climate and why these fields are so important! They’ll also be introduced to exciting careers that relate to weather and climate.
Great Performances - Now Hear This “Copland: Dean of American Music” - Friday April 22 at 9:00 pm
Learn how the works of an American classical composer developed into a signature American sound drawing from his Jewish roots, modernism and American folk music.
Digging Deeper “Pollinator Garden” - Sunday, April 24 at 6:00 pm
Penn State President Eric Barron and his guests talk about the pollinator garden at the Penn State Arboretum. They discuss what guests can see and experience, and why these gardens are important.
We Remember: Songs of Survivors - Tuesday, April 26 at 8:00 pm
Holocaust survivors partner with songwriters to turn their life experiences into powerful music for a community concert. The resulting songs, filled with joy and healing, celebrate the extraordinary lives of this resilient generation.
Death in Paradise (Season 5 Premiere) - Saturday, April 30 at 9:00 pm
DI Goodman and his team are tested when a millionaire philanthropist is murdered on his boat, and the only suspects were all underwater at the time. Meanwhile, DI Goodman's new hobby raises a few eyebrows...
Industry News
Station Leaders From Coastal Regions Call For Increased Investments In Shoring Up Broadcast Infrastructure
As climate change intensifies the frequency and effects of natural disasters, public broadcasters are considering how to strengthen their infrastructure and emergency preparedness plans for extreme weather events. Station leaders in vulnerable regions are focusing on how their systems and equipment will hold up as natural disasters worsen, working to ensure they can remain on the air when disaster strikes. In the Southeastern U.S., where hurricanes and tropical storms cause severe flooding and heavy rainfall, stations have already had to adjust to the effects of climate change. But these broadcasters acknowledge more should be done to protect essential infrastructure. “We’re not talking about it as much as we need to, from an infrastructure point of view,” said Paul Maassen, GM of public radio stations WWNO in New Orleans and WRKF in Baton Rouge, La. “In New Orleans and South Louisiana, we can attest to the fact that we feel the hurricanes are more numerous and stronger now, and so what are we doing in response to that?” Full story here.
Court Hears NAB Challenge To Foreign Disclosure Rules
Broadcasters -- particularly small local stations -- do not have the capacity to conduct the type of complex legal investigation the Federal Communications Commission requires when sponsors pay for air time, National Association of Broadcasters attorney Stephen Kinnaird told a three-judge panel at a federal appeals court this week. "This is an ill-conceived regulation that is unlawful in multiple different dimensions," Kinnaird argued. Full story here.
Governmental Relations
Members of Congress are asking their colleagues to sign letters endorsing annual federal funding for public media. The letters will be delivered to the Appropriations subcommittees responsible for determining the amount of funding public media stations will receive. Protect My Public Media is asking the the public to urge their lawmakers to sign the letters in support of public media funding. Send an email request here.
Missing Sasquatch in Michigan
PARK TOWNSHIP, MI -- Police are investigating the theft of a 7-foot-tall metal sasquatch lawn ornament from a home in southern Michigan. The item crafted from sheet metal was stolen from a home in St. Joseph County’s Park Township on or after March 22, Michigan State Police said. It has a rusty brown color with various sharp edges to resemble the fur of the mythical, ape-like bigfoot. It appeared the sasquatch was cut away from a steel post with a pair of bolt cutters or a similar instrument, police said. A white panel van with dark driver- and passenger-side windows was observed parked in the area on March 22, police said. [AP - 4/6/22]
Random Thoughts
"It wasn’t love at first sight. It took a full five minutes" -- Lucille Ball
Resources and Tips
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