Inside PBS Blog

Change seems to be the buzzword of 2009, and PBS programming fits the bill – from a fresh new approach to one of our longest running programs, to a new series about the Kennedys, a family that shifted America’s cultural and political landscape. Plus: a story about a plane crash, and how it ended up changing the survivors’ lives forever.

• There are big changes coming at The NewsHour. In an effort to bridge the gap between its broadcast and online audiences, the program will be adding a co-anchor and recruiting an online correspondent. But don’t worry, Jim Lehrer isn’t going anywhere; he’ll be one of the anchors, and executive producer Linda Winslow told The New York Times “This isn’t a succession plan in disguise.” Do you have ideas about how to update The NewsHour? Concerned about the changes? This week, the Online NewsHour team is asking for your questions and feedback. Lehrer and Winslow will respond to questions online next week.

• When President Obama ran on a platform of change last year, a number of pundits compared him to another young, vibrant candidate, John F. Kennedy. America’s most famous political family has experienced huge success, huge scandal, and huge tragedy, but how much do we really know about the Kennedys? Starting with the patriarch, Joseph Kennedy, American Experience gives the family’s story an in-depth treatment in a new two-part series (check local listings).
• From Robinson Crusoe to Lost, people have always been fascinated by stories of survival in the wild. This week, Independent Lens tells a real-life survival story (check local listings). In 1972, 29 Uruguayan students broke society’s greatest taboo in order to stay alive after their plane crashed in the Andes Mountains; meet 16 of the survivors and find out how that decision has impacted their lives.

What are you watching this week?

Related Posts

American Experience's Mark Samels Answers Your Questions

PBS.org Gets a Facelift

Stay Engaged. Get our blog by email.