Inside PBS Blog

Insights into PBS programming and personalities

Ask FRONTLINE/World producer Charlotte Buchen

Social entrepreneurs are changing the face of business all over the world. In the latest episode of FRONTLINE/World, producer Charlotte Buchen takes us to Cairo, Egypt to meet captivating young entrepreneurs who are changing their communities through innovation and hard work. Buchen is our guest in this week’s “Ask…” series and she’s very excited to hear your responses and questions.

In “Egypt: Middle East, Inc.” Buchen follows three students who compete in a contest to identify innovative business thinkers in the region. The contest is hosted by InJaz, a non-profit group created to help address the staggering unemployment rates in the Middle East, and the winners receive business and leadership training to advance their entrepreneurial goals.more

June 22, 2009 | Read Comments (21) | Add a New Comment

The Hot Sheet: June 22-29

PBS always encourages you to “be more,” and this week, we explore who we’ve become, highlighting the science of humanity itself both in our broadcasts and on the Web.more

June 19, 2009 | Add a New Comment

Filmmaker Mark Lewis Answers Your Questions

Last week, local PBS stations aired two very interesting films: one about the bond between chickens and humans, and another about ferrets – or, more specifically, Ohio's annual Ferret Buckeye Bash. Filmmaker Mark Lewis is the man behind these idiosyncratic films, titled “The Natural History of the Chicken” and “Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence,” respectively. Not surprisingly, both films provoked a strong audience response; here are his answers to the questions submitted by viewers like you. more

June 18, 2009 | Add a New Comment

Where are They Now - Levar Burton

Welcome to the first in our “Where are they now?” series, where we catch you up on the lives and careers of PBS personalities from days of yore .

First up: Levar Burton, creator, executive producer and host of that classic children’s program, Reading Rainbow. The show introduced Burton, already a well-known actor from his acclaimed performance in the award-winning television series Roots, to a whole new generation of television viewers. By the time production stopped in 2005, the series had won a Peabody award and 26 Emmy awards. (Old episodes of Reading Rainbow still air on some stations, and the series website remains popular.)more

June 18, 2009 | Read Comments (3) | Add a New Comment

Ask The Mosque in Morgantown’s Asra Nomani

What happens when a journalist becomes an activist? Watch one journalist’s transformation in “The Mosque in Morgantown,” the final film in the America at a Crossroads series, which showcases a range of perspectives on challenges facing the post-9/11 world(check local listings).

Journalist Asra Nomani witnessed Islamic extremism when her friend and colleague Daniel Pearl was killed in 2002. When she returned to her hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia to raise her son, she perceived her local mosque to be moving towards extremism. When she attempted to enter the mosque through the front door, Nomani was told that women could not pray alongside men and that she would have to use the back door.more

June 15, 2009 | Read Comments (56) | Add a New Comment

The Hot Sheet: June 15-22

Sometimes it’s best to focus on the big picture; other times, details reveal a larger truth. This week, PBS encourages you to look a little closer.more

June 12, 2009 | Read Comments (2) | Add a New Comment

Singer Josh Groban Answers Your Questions

Last week our guest here on Engage was singer Josh Groban. We invited him to take your questions just as his special Soundstage performance, “Josh Groban, An Evening in New York City,” aired on local PBS stations.

It was difficult to choose from the nearly 200 questions we received. Take a look at his responses to six of your questions below and let us know what you think.

Quick question...out of all the concerts you performed at, which one was your best one? The one where you felt you did 110% great? Aeneid more

June 12, 2009 | Read Comments (13) | Add a New Comment

Are You Ready for the June 12 Digital Transition?

After months of uncertainty, date changes and government rulings, the final deadline for the transition to digital television has arrived. On June 12th, all television stations will be required to move to all-digital broadcasts.

Perhaps your PBS station has already made the switch; many, though, have waited until the final deadline to better prepare those in their communities. Are you ready for the digital transition?

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June 10, 2009 | Read Comments (1) | Add a New Comment

Ask Filmmaker Mark Lewis (About Chickens and Ferrets!?)

After watching the opening few minutes of filmmaker Mark Lewis’ “The Natural History of the Chicken,” I’m thinking I have a lot to learn about chickens.more

June 8, 2009 | Read Comments (20) | Add a New Comment

The Hot Sheet: June 8-15

Collaboration in anything usually yields a better result, or at least an interesting one. This week on PBS, several teams are in the spotlight:more

June 5, 2009 | Read Comments (1) | Add a New Comment

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