Top public media executives and producers gathered in Los Angeles on April 28 to discuss the future of public media by highlighting success stories and exploring ways in which public media could incorporate innovative programming and new approaches to sustainable funding. USC Annenberg Dean Ernest J. Wilson, former chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, opened the forum off with the warning: "We either innovate or die. That's just the bottom line." The subsequent dialogue centered on the themes of multiplatform news coverage, collaboration, and extending the reach of public media by targeting diverse communities in the local market. The……
Tag: Al Jerome
Fund cuts for public television lead to mergers; is there life after PBS?
WASHINGTON – Coping with reduced funding by state governments and other sources, public television stations are pursuing diverse options ranging from mergers and consolidation to dropping PBS network programs. As reported in early July, funding cuts led to the demise of the New Jersey Network of PBS stations, which were merged into New York's WNET. The station had earlier acquired WLIW on Long Island, so currently, WNET controls PBS programming on stations well to the east and south of New York City. New York is not unique: San Francisco's public television station, KQED, acquired KTEH, serving San Jose and the……