In Associated Press report Monday (5/9) states, “PBS plans to run arts programming on Friday nights for nine straight weeks starting in October to highlight a subject where it can offer something different, network executives said Monday. … Although ‘American Idol’ and similar performance shows remain popular on broadcast TV, there are relatively few outlets that show the breadth of arts that PBS is planning, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said. Cable networks that once were devoted to the arts, such as Bravo and A&E, now focus primarily on other programming. ‘We constantly look at what areas are being underrepresented,’ Kerger said. ‘From my perspective, the arts is really at the top of the list.’ The Friday night arts festival will be is a collection of new programming and PBS’s ‘Great Performances’ series. Putting them all on the same night will help viewers who have had trouble finding some of the network’s arts programming in the past, she said. … The festival will include documentaries and short films about arts scenes in Miami, San Francisco, Cleveland, Chicago and other areas. PBS is encouraging its member stations to develop local arts programming to go with the feature.”
Posted May 10, 2011
