Public Media for Public Good
In the United States, public media is defined by PBS and its 350 local television affiliates, and NPR and its 917 local radio affiliates. Since 1970, these networks have created, produced and distributed an extraordinary range of educational, cultural, arts, children's, news, public affairs and documentary programming. PBS is now the America's fifth most popular TV network, a true alternative to commercial cable and broadcast networks. Both NPR and PBS operate popular websites. Their local stations produce some news and public affairs programming, the occasional documentary, and some local events. Some offer access to local education services, including job training and GED programs.
Public Media for Children
PBS and its local TV stations fill half of their weekday schedules with safe, well-intentioned, mostly animated children's programs. These programs are guided by a well-researched and strict curriculum designed by education professionals. Animated characters provide the creative teams with a great deal of flexibility. Each program's characters and stories maximize learning opportunities (and merchandising opportunities.) As a rule, public radio does not offer children's programming.
Public Media for Adults
On PBS, disciplined adult learning has little appeal, so the network tends toward stylized documentary series about science and nature ("Nova," "Nature"), social or political issues ("Frontline"), American history ("American Experience," "American Masters," and various Ken Burns documentary series), or programs with a reality or entertainment sensibility ("Antiques Roadshow," "Finding Your Roots"). Arts and cultural programs enrich the schedule with programs from Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, and other national and international venues. Stories about British life are very popular; "Downton Abbey" and various Masterpiece mysteries, for example, have been successful in finding an audience. The heart of NPR's brand is short-form news and news feature programming ("Morning Edition", "All Things Considered") with talk shows ("Fresh Air") pursuing a similar news, public affairs and cultural agenda.
The Triumph of Public Media for Public Good
Public TV and radio operations adhere to a similar mission: to educate, inform and enlighten their audiences. As a result, public media is a comfortable place for children and a reliable source for adults, an uplifting place to spend one's time, free from exploitative violence or sex. Time spent with public media feels good; it makes one feel smart, cultured, better for the experience. From time to time, public media also plays an active role in decoding complicated local or national issues.
Looking Backward to See the Future
Many of the programs seen and heard on public media are decades old. When they were first devised, they were unique, bold new initiatives that told stories that simply weren't heard on television or radio. Public media was the place to innovate, to try imaginative, important new approaches to media. The long list of yesterday's successful innovations provide the solid foundation of today's public media: "Sesame Street," "A Prairie Home Companion," and many more. In today's 21st century digital age, with abundant media and access always within reach, public media is no longer the powerful innovator. We ask, "where are the bold initiatives that will become tomorrow's 'Sesame Street?'"
To answer that question, we are building a workshop to develop, discover, fail, learn from our mistakes, build and rebuild curriculum, try things out on the internet, with lots of audience participation, to find the new formulas. This website provides a starting place.
“You’ve got to get them into the church before you can preach to them.”
- David Connell, Sesame Street’s first Executive Producer
To Mr. Connell's iconic statement, circa 1968, we add two simple phrases, circa 2015:
"and so that they will talk to one another...
so they collaborate to make life better for everyone."