The heads of Graham Media, Emily Barr, and Hearst Television, Jordan Wertlieb, yesterday agreed that local journalism, particularly that practiced by TV stations, was critical to the nation’s well-being. The two made their remarks as they were honored as Giants of Broadcasting and the Electronic Arts by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.
More than three dozen employees at the WNET Group, the parent company of New York’s public television stations, have called for the resignation of the longtime chief executive, Neal Shapiro, saying he had not done enough to improve working conditions for employees, especially those of color.
The noncommercial station is going into the local news business starting on the Web around Memorial Day. If all goes well, MetroFocus will evolve into a half-hour newscast and mobile app. “One of the futures of public television is making local connections,” says WNET President Neal Shapiro.
