**THE YEAR CLOSES, THE WORLD OPENS**

posted by Laura McKee

As 2010 draws to a close, I look back over the year at our many accomplishments as we step ahead into a bold new year. I like to think of these “accomplishments” as the return on your membership investment.

In an election year, AZPM was your trusted source that introduced you to many candidates and profiled the intricacies of every ballet proposition. Whether it was a local “In-Depth” segment on NPR, an interview on Arizona Illustrated, or a live debate — you knew AZPM was the place to turn for a candid exchange – giving you the resources you needed to make informed decisions.

We produced “Teachers’ Voices” on the radio as a part of Arizona Spotlight – highlighting a teacher, student, superintendent, business leader, elected official, or parent to capture the alchemy and professionalism of teaching. Classical KUAT-FM 90.5 brought you more community concerts than ever before, recording live performances around Southern Arizona and delivering them to you with the best seat in the house (or car).

AZPM began the 19th and final season of The Desert Speaks, brought you amazing science with WaveLengths and NOVA, honored veterans with Unforgettable: The Korean War, and delighted you with Great Performances, St. Paul Sunday, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow and many BritComs.

For youngsters, PBS-HD and PBS Kids premiered Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, from the literary classics by Dr. Seuss. This series joined a stellar lineup of children’s programs already in our lineup including WordGirl, Curious George and of course, Sesame Street.

In the community, we brought Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion to Tucson for a live national broadcast, NPR’s Scott Simon to the Tucson Festival of Books (where we also featured Create TV in the Culinary Area), hosted library screenings with “Now Showing @ Your Library” and Independent Lens, and sponsored free children’s storytime at the UA Bookstore.

Our online presence is stronger than ever with a popular page on Facebook, news feeds on Twitter, and full length programs now provided on demand -- anytime and anywhere, with PlayPBS.

Many of these events lay the foundation for 2011 that will provide an increase in original production that work to deliver the best of Southern Arizona to you every day. As we implement our new strategic plan, your input is more important than ever. Please feel free to review our strategic plan here and give us your feedback.

While our accomplishments are gratifying, none of this would have been possible without your continued support. On behalf of all of us at AZPM, thank you. Please accept our very best wishes for the holiday season and in 2011.

Jack Gibson

NOVEMBER GM LETTER

posted by Laura McKee

Thankful for great members like you!

Thanks to all of you who have made a membership contribution over this last year, and especially those who called or clicked on our Website during our Fall Radio Membership Campaign at the end of October. The final tallies are in and I’m happy to report that the station not only met it’s goal of $245,000 but surpassed it. The drive (the first ever with a combined radio goal) wrapped up Oct. 25th at 6:30 p.m. having raised $257,673 from 2,497 pledges. We are tremendously proud of our radio stations, and of the program services that we provide to you and Southern Arizona.

Join us on PBS-HD Channel 6 to take an unforgettable trip with the legendary Big Apple Circus during PBS's new 3-part, six hour series airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. starting November 3rd. Circus - from the big top to the back lot explores a distinctive world with its own rules, lingo and no fixed address. Meet the cast by clicking here. You'll find yourself involved with the diverse characters that make up the Big Apple family while sharing their fears and frustrations, triumphs and failures and finding out what it really means to live life in the ring.

AZPM’s latest documentary, Secrets of the Divine: The Altarpiece of Ciudad Rodrigo – premieres on November 18 at 8 p.m. on PBS-HD Channel 6. The one-hour special was co-developed with the University of Arizona Museum of Art and is narrated by NPR's Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg. The documentary is part art history, mystery and scientific exploration. Join us as we explore the 26 panels of art to reveal what lies beneath the 500-year-old Spanish altar paintings.

I encourage you to participate in the NPR and StoryCorps Day of Listening November 26, 2010. For the third year in a row, on the day after Thanksgiving, NPR's Morning Edition invites all of us to start a new holiday tradition: take an hour to interview a friend, a loved one, or someone in your community about his or her life. The National Day of Listening was started by StoryCorps in 2008 as a way to provide an alternative to "Black Friday" holiday shopping sprees. StoryCorps has created a free, do-it-yourself interview guide with step-by-step interview instructions, equipment recommendations, and sample questions available online here. You can record your interview using equipment that is readily available in most homes - from cell phones to tape recorders to computers or even pen and paper.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jack Gibson

A NEW SEASON OF THE DESERT SPEAKS AND WAVELENGTHS

posted by Laura McKee

New episodes of The Desert Speaks and WaveLengths premiere beginning Oct. 28! The 19th and final season of The Desert Speaks will premiere on Thurs. Oct. 28 at 9 p.m. on PBS-HD Channel 6 immediately followed by the first installment in the third season of WaveLengths at 9:30 p.m. Both of these Emmy-Award® winning series are produced right here at Arizona Public Media and are terrific examples of your membership dollars at work.

In this final season, The Desert Speaks host, David Yetman, stays close to home exploring the border with Mexico and many unique Sonoran desert treasures. WaveLengths with host, Vicki Chandler, will explore "Genes, Germs, and Greenhouses,” in its premiere episode featuring the agri-science that is growing solutions which make crops safer from the farm, to the plate, to another planet.

On Monday, Oct. 11th at 9 p.m., PBS-HD Channel 6 premieres God in America - a 6-hour special co-production of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE airing over 3 consecutive nights. This series explores the potent and complex interaction between religion and democracy. Watch a preview of each episode and share your stories here.

The annual Fall Radio Membership Drive begins Monday, October 18 through Monday, October 25! Last year's successful pledge drive provided the resources to add in-depth news features on local and regional topics to Morning Edition. Call in your renewal or additional gift at 621-1600 or go online to make or renew your membership now.

Leading up to the August 24th state primary, AZPM provided more than two dozen debates and roundtables focusing on the different races and issues here in Southern Arizona. We will continue with even more debates and forums leading up to the election including complete coverage on election day and night. Visit the AZPM elections 2010 website for candidate interviews and proposition information. And don’t miss the live debate for Congressional District 8 between Gabrielle Giffords and Jesse Kelly on Monday Oct. 18th at 7 p.m. at the University of Arizona Student Union Ballroom, on PBS-HD Channel 6, NPR-KUAZ 89.1-FM and 1550 AM, and streaming online at http://ondemand.azpm.org/. This debate is a production of AZPM and is produced in association with the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and with production partner, Cox Communications.

Finally, I am delighted to report that 22 Emmy nominations were received by several of our talented staff from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Rocky Mountain Chapter, for television productions broadcast on AZPM stations over the last year. This is up from 12 nominations just a year ago and speaks volumes about the quality of our productions, and our people. The Emmy winners will be announced on October 9th, 2010. Keep your fingers crossed!

On behalf of all of us at AZPM, thank you for your continued support.

Jack Gibson

EXCITING TIMES AT AZPM

posted by Laura McKee

As we move into fall, many exciting opportunities are coming to AZPM. Up first is the premiere of the new children’s television series called The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, starting Monday, September 6th on both PBS-HD Channel 6 and PBS KIDS. Yes, this is the beloved character from Dr. Seuss that we all grew up adoring, and that we hope will inspire a new generation of children to keep learning. Rumor has it that Mrs. Seuss reported that Dr. Seuss was very specific that he would only allow PBS to make his books into a television series because he trusted the quality of PBS. The programs will focus on science education and is voiced by award-winning actor, Martin Short. Catch it weekdays at 7:30 a.m. on PBS-HD Channel 6, and again at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on PBS KIDS.

You’ll also want to see some of the amazing program specials from Sept. 4-12 during the second part of our Hot Summer Nights membership campaign on PBS-HD Channel 6, especially Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air and Landscapes of Enchantment, the latter of which highlights interpretations by ten of the most important landscape painters in New Mexico. And my personal favorite, Carole King and James Taylor Live at the Troubadour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Los Angeles club in 2007. For the most current program times, visit our schedules page here.

And if you weren’t able to make it out to some of the great classical music community concerts in recent months, no worries. You can have a front row seat right from your living room or in your car on Classical KUAT-FM 90.5. as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. – “Vive la France!" concert; an all-French composer program with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Cockrell conducting, with The Arizona Choir and The University of Arizona Symphonic Choir under the direction of Elizabeth Schauer; recorded May 2, 2010 at Centennial Hall.

Sunday, Sept. 12 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. - "Due West and Other Directions," Arizona Repertory Singers with director Jeffry Jahn; recorded April 25, 2010 at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church.

Sunday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. - "Basically Baroque" University Community Chorus & Orchestra, conducted by Elizabeth Schauer and Heather Zosel; recorded April 25, 2010 at Crowder Hall.

Finally, as you may have read in the newspaper recently, AZPM and the City of Tucson are discussing a possible merger between AZPM and Channel 12, the cable television station currently operated by the City, which would incorporate Tucson12 into AZPM. Both entities feature a staff of Emmy-Award winning producers and are designed to provide public services. AZPM approached the City to consider this opportunity as a way to achieve significant cost savings and improved distribution for Tucson12 and to potentially increase local program offerings for the benefit of our combined viewers and listeners. Stay tuned!

Jack Gibson

ELECTIONS AND HOT SUMMER NIGHTS

posted by Laura McKee

Well, believe it or not, election season is here again and primaries are at the end of August. We’re working hard to make Arizona Public Media your most-trusted source for election information to help you be an informed voter.

Our election page on the Website will keep you up to date on Arizona campaigns, debates, and voting information. Almost all of the candidates have been or will soon be featured on Arizona Illustrated and/or interviewed for NPR KUAZ 89.1 FM/1550AM. And if you happen to miss them, you can always click on AZPM and then the election 2010 button for videos, voter information and resources, and upcoming debates and interviews.

Join us for Hot Summer Nights on PBS-HD Channel 6

We’re rolling out part one of our summer pledge drive from August 7-15 with first time performance specials from Marvin Hamlisch featuring songs of the ‘70’s; Hallelujah Broadway with the best of the old and the new; American Idol star Clay Aiken; the original 1990 performance of the Three Tenors: Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti; a memorial tribute to John Denver plus a grand finale on the final Saturday night with the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. So stay inside on these hot summer nights and stay cool with some truly great performances. My thanks to the thousands of families who support the programs on the Arizona Public Media stations with their membership dollars. Thanks also for your patience with us during our on-air membership campaigns as we work to encourage your friends and neighbors to join us. Time and again these on-air appeals prove to be the most cost-effective way to increase viewer and listener support – which are needed to help us to keep pace with rising

Jack Gibson

A NEW FISCAL YEAR

posted by Laura McKee

Dear friends,

In these first days of our new fiscal year, I’d like to update you on several projects, and to thank you for your outstanding support of public media from The University of Arizona.

Strategic Plan On Thursday, May 6th the Community Advisory Board (CAB) voted to endorse the framework of our new strategic plan. The planning process included an assessment of where we are now, where we plan to be in 2015, and detailed steps we’ll take over the next 18 months to get us moving in the right direction with greater focus and potentially, greater results. Nearly 30 percent of our staff, across all levels -- are involved with developing the plan that is the direct output of our CAB Strategic Planning sessions.

TV ratings The May Nielsen ratings indicated that the Prime Time audience totals for Channel 6 were unchanged from May 2009. Good news in a highly competitive media environment. Prime Time viewing frequency on the other hand increased by 7% overall, with Friday night experiencing the largest growth at +119% over Friday night last May. It looks like Create and PBS Kids continue to lead the pack in our digital multicast channel lineup, after PBS-HD. I am very proud of our recent efforts to provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Kagan Confirmation Hearings with Live and encore presentations on PBS World and daily wrap up programs on Channel 6 and KUAZ.

A new website and PlayPBS The online and new media team has re-launched AZpublicmedia.org with better navigation and more opportunity for visitor involvement. PlayPBS as I hope you already know, launched earlier this year providing full-length programs from PBS and AZPM.

Membership funding I hope many of you have seen or heard the terrific spots featuring community volunteers encouraging viewers and listeners to help AZPM reach its fiscal year-end goal. I am pleased to report that we met and surpassed our FY’10 membership revenue target thanks in no small part to these volunteers and the thousands of families who annually provide financial support to this enterprise.

With gratitude Thank you for your continued support of AZPM. We are all here because we believe in the power of public media to make a difference in our community. It is evident in the work that we do to produce meaningful programs from right here in Tucson and in the audience growth that we continue to experience on all our stations.

Candidly, our work would not be possible without you. I want you to know how much I appreciate your continued support of AZPM as we begin our journey into FY’11.

Have a great summer!

Jack Gibson