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.
WNET’s ambitious All Arts multicast channel and streaming service could develop into a package of cultural content available to stations nationwide. Some content, including an original show, is now available online. The complete network will launch Jan. 28.
In the first two weeks of broadcasts, segments covered recent discoveries of natural gas deposits in Israel, to efforts of harvesting tidal energy off Maine’s coast. It also features local arts coverage produced by PBS member stations, spearheaded by WNET New York.
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.
Exclusives
The American University School of Communication has agreed to buy Current, the trade newspaper and website that covers public broadcasting.
Public broadcasting heavy-hitters WNET New York, WHYY Philadelphia and WNYC radio in New York are among the candidates being considered for prominent roles in a newly configured public broadcasting service that would replace the New Jersey Network.
