PBS Hosts First Virtual TCA Press Tour
This year, PBS presented its upcoming fall programming with a three-day virtual press tour. The tour kicked off with Executive Remarks from PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, followed by a panel discussion honoring PBS’s 50th anniversary, which featured Judy Woodruff, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Ken Burns.
As Paula noted:
“This isn’t how we thought we’d be marking our 50th …but I strongly believe that everything we’ve done over the past five decades has prepared us to meet this moment.”
When COVID-19 shuttered large parts of the country, PBS and its 335 member stations made quick changes to help our audiences navigate these challenging times. PBS created special programs to keep people informed about the virus — including a PBS NEWSHOUR virtual town hall and several timely documentaries produced by FRONTLINE and NOVA — and tapped into its rich library of content, such as Ken Burn’s films that remind us that our country has overcome periods of great adversity when we’ve pulled together
PBS and its member stations also led the way with multi-platform, at-home learning initiatives to help close the learning gap for millions of children who were unable to return to their classrooms.
And as the nation grapples with legacies of systemic racism and inequality , PBS remains committed to leveraging the unique strengths of public television to enable meaningful change.
Since its founding, PBS has built a sweeping catalog of work, which includes titles like Harry Hampton’s “Eyes on the Prize,” Stanley Nelson’s “Freedom Riders,” and Dr. Henry Louis Gates. Jr’s “African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross,” among many other important films.
Paula also announced several new additions to the PBS schedule such as:
“Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan,” a PBS NEWSHOUR series in which New York Times best-selling author Kelly Corrigan will conduct an hour-long interviews with notable leaders such as acclaimed civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson.
PBS KIDS will air a half-hour special, “PBS KIDS Talk about: Race and Racism,” in which families have authentic conversations about race and racial justice.
And Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will present THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG, a two-part, four-hour series that traces the 400-year history of the Black church and explores African American faith communities on the frontlines of hope and change
PBS will also air two films that explore the Black community’s impact on American culture:
AMERICAN MASTERS’ “How It Feels to be Free” — executive produced by Grammy award-winning artist Alicia Keys — will provide an unprecedented look at trailblazing Black female performers, including Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier
And from INDEPENDENT LENS, “Mr. Soul,” will share the story of Ellis Haizlip, the Black pioneer behind the one of the most culturally significant shows in television history
During the discussion, Paula asked the panelists to say a few words about PBS’s 50th, and their role in making PBS the beloved organization that it is today.
“News and public affairs has been at the heart of PBS from the beginning. Thirty-seven years later, PBS NEWSHOUR remains the nation’s only hour-long in-depth nightly news program and joining PBS was the best professional decision I’ve made,” said Judy Woodruff.
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. said, “Like many of you, I’ve been inspired by how PBS quickly responded to the events of this past spring. I’m particularly impressed by PBS’s commitment to freedom of speech and presenting all sides of an argument, and challenging injustice everywhere it manifests itself.”
“I feel just so blessed to be part of the PBS family since the late 1970s— almost since the beginning. PBS is the only place where any of my films could have been made, produced and broadcast, ” said Ken Burns
