PBS

Public broadcasters are backing their commercial counterparts’ request that the FCC “clarify” or establish flexibility when it comes to multicast channels, both in ATSC 1.0 and using the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast transmission standard (branded NextGen TV).

The long run of A Charlie Brown Christmas on over-the-air TV will continue, at least for this year. Apple — which earlier this year snapped up the rights to the classic holiday special, along with other parts of the Peanuts catalog — has cut a deal with PBS under which A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will air on the public broadcaster. The deal ensures that viewers without access to Apple’s TV+ streaming platform can still see the two specials.

PBS has promoted programming executive Sylvia Bugg to chief programming executive and general manager of general audience programming. In her new position, Bugg will oversee all non-children’s content and lead programming strategy across all broadcast and digital platforms. She will also be responsible for the acquisition and development of programming for PBS and its member stations, “with a particular focus on sharing important stories that reflect the diversity of our country,” according to PBS.

It created the blueprint for what TV has become. And, while networks and streaming services reap the benefits of PBS’s successes, it is still struggling to survive.

Over the past five decades, we have invited Monty Python, Julia Child, Barney, William F. Buckley Jr. and Carl Sagan into our living rooms. Sound eclectic? It’s called the Public Broadcasting Service.

Should public TV stations that use a portion of their spectrum to provide noncommercial data services have to pay fees for that service? That question is before the FCC in a rulemaking proceeding, with groups including PBS, America’s Public Television Stations and the Public Media Venture Group arguing that the fees are hindering development of ATSC 3.0 “broadcast internet” datacasting.

PBS has announced that viewers are now able to live-stream their local PBS stations for free over internet connected devices. As of now, 85 stations can be live streamed, with more expected to become available in the future. Streaming will be available on major web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge) as well as through the PBS Video Channel on Roku devices.

PBS shared its programming plans for the upcoming months as part of a virtual Television Critics Association presentation. Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO, noted that PBS turns 50 in October. She called it a “wrenching time” in our nation. “We are committed to leveraging the unique strengths of public television to enable meaningful change,” Kerger said.

PBS’s 50th anniversary wasn’t supposed to be quite so interesting. What the public broadcaster had expected was a forward-looking celebration of a half-century of service. But as with any other organization, PBS was forced to change plans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, PBS has seen its mission made as clear as ever as it has spent its 50th year doing exactly what it was created to do — serve viewers of all ages with an array of programming designed to educate, enlighten, and yes, entertain.

Les Crystal, who was president of NBC News in the late 1970s before serving for more than two decades as the executive producer of PBS’s NewsHour, died on Wednesday. He was 85.

More than 320 scholars and practitioners in media and communications signed a letter sent to six CEOs of television news networks, including NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and PBS, calling out issues of systemic racism within the organizations.

PBS has canceled both of its major spring conferences due to concerns over the global outbreak of the coronavirus. PBS TechCon, which focuses on broadcast and digital technologies, was scheduled for April 15–17 in Las Vegas. The Annual Meeting, where PBS presents major programming and engagement initiatives, was to be held in Seattle May 11–13.

PBS has prevailed on its claim that Tavis Smiley breached a morals clause. On Wednesday, a Washington, D.C., jury returned a verdict in favor of the public broadcaster and decided that the former late night talk show host should pay $1.486 million.

Charles Hobson, an Emmy Award-winning producer who helped shatter racial stereotypes by delivering a black perspective that had been missing from early television programming, died on Feb. 13. He was 83.

A century-old fixture of entertainment contracts that was triggered by a silent movie star’s arrest for rape and murder is now under the microscope thanks to fired public TV host Tavis Smiley’s #MeToo-era lawsuit.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, PBS is both looking back on its heritage and looking ahead. The public broadcaster is launching PBS American Portrait, which Paula Kerger, president and CEO, called a “digital-first national storytelling project” about “what it really means to be an American today.”

According to a newly unsealed report from a PBS-hired external investigator, former talk-show host Tavis Smiley’s alleged misconduct dates back decades and spans inappropriate sexual comments and touching, verbal abuse, as well as sexual relationships with subordinates and guests on his show.

Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of PBS’ long-running Masterpeice, is stepping aside after 35 years. Susanne Simpson will take over as executive producer of the drama series after serving as deputy executive producer for the past dozen years.

Public television’s 1973 coverage is both a preview of coming impeachment attractions and a memento of an irretrievable media past.

The $4 million project, funded by the Knight Foundation and Corporation for Public Broadcasting, supports local reporting teams financially and with expertise from people at Frontline.