SPRING IS IN THE AIR

posted by Laura McKee

Many exciting things are happening around NPR 89.1 this month. Perhaps you’ve noticed there are now local morning newscasts on Saturday and Sunday. This extended coverage is made possible by listener support and fulfills our strategic intent to provide southern Arizona with the best in-depth news coverage. The popular weekend program Wait…Wait Don’t Tell Me comes to Tucson’s Centennial Hall as a part of UApresents on Thursday, March 15th. This sold-out show will be taped for broadcast to the national NPR audience on Saturday, March 17th.

Join us on March 3rd at the Fox Tucson Theatre for the national premiere simulcast broadcast on ReadyTV of “Amos Lee with Calexico” Live from the Artists Den. Tickets are free to the public. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the broadcast starting at 8 p.m. The original concert was taped at the Fox Theatre Tucson on August 23, 2011 as part of the fourth season of this innovative music series. Live from the Artists Den airs on ReadyTV on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. on Cox 83, Comcast 201 and Broadcast 6-3.

The Tucson Festival of Books comes to the University of Arizona on March 10 and 11th. AZPM is again proud to be a part of this event. Our theme this year, ReadyTV and its great cooking programs, will be featured in the Culinary Tent as well as the new Science City – Science of Food tent. Come see us at the festival and register to win some great Culinary Gift Baskets from our highlighted ReadyTV chefs; Jacques Pepin, Steven Raichlen, Huber Keller, and the folks from America’s Test Kitchen.

The PBS-HD 6 spring membership drive, “You Make It Happen,” starts March 3rd. Program highlights include “Big Band Vocalists” and “Superstars of the Seventies Soul Live”, the latest installments of the MY MUSIC series, premieres on March 3rd at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. respectively. Great Performances celebrates the 25th anniversary of one of the world’s most spectacular musicals, “Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” on Sunday, March 4th at 6 p.m. Also, “Tony Bennett: Duets II,” another Great Performances program airs on Thursday, March 8th at 8 p.m. and features the singer’s greatest hits performed by Bennett and today’s biggest stars, including John Mayer, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, and more. On Monday the 5th, don’t miss “Dr. Wayne Dyer: Wishes Fulfilled,” as the best-selling author presents his Five Wishes Fulfilled Foundations at 8 p.m. and don’t miss “Celebrating North America’s Steam Railways” premiering on Monday, March 12th at 8 p.m. Last but not least - the ever popular, “Joseph Campbell & the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers” returns on the 18th and 19th at 9 p.m.

As always, our goal is to provide you with a wide variety of programming so you can “vote with your pledge” and let us know the types of shows you’d like to see more of on PBS- HD 6.

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

Jack Gibson

RATINGS SUCCESS PLUS FEBRUARY PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

posted by Laura McKee

“Downton Abbey,” the Emmy® Award winning Masterpiece Classic series has been lighting up the internet! During the Golden Globe Awards, Twitter reported that the moment “Downton Abbey” won for best mini-series; it was the most buzzed moment of the awards show with 6,162 tweets-per-second – outpacing last year’s Super Bowl and royal wedding! Tune in to one of the most acclaimed international television hits on Sundays at 8 p.m. on PBS-HD 6 through February 19th. Watch the turmoil, the spoils of war, and the dashing of romantic dreams.

The fall television ratings have just been released and the Hollywood at Home weekly Saturday night film series has proven to be a big winner. The films “Moonstruck,” and “Kiss me Deadly,” all proved to be ratings winners along with our perennial hits Keeping Up Appearances, Sherlock Homes, Antique Roadshow, and As Time Goes By. The Hollywood at Home series in February includes “Anastasia” on February 4th, “To Have and Have Not” on the 11th, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” on the 18th and the original “Ocean’s Eleven” on February 25th; all at 9 p.m. with no interruptions. On Super Bowl on Sunday February 5th, we have Hollywood at Home movies scheduled at a special time: “Local Hero” at 3 p.m. followed by “People Will Talk” at 5 p.m.

Ready TV, AZPM’s new 24-hour life-style channel looks to be a hit -- increasing its audience by 22% in the first month on the air. The featured ‘chef of the month’ for February is world-renowned chef and teacher Jacque Pépin, with his series “Essential Pépin.” Visit here for more information.

AZPM radio audiences are growing as well. For the fall 2011 ratings period, Classical 90.5 FM realized an eight percent increase in audience share, and a 2.5 percent increase in weekly unduplicated audience compared to the previous year.^ The unduplicated audience for NPR 89.1 increased by eight percent over the previous ratings period.^^ We are gratified by these ratings results and thank you, our loyal listeners and members for their support. Also, we hope you join us in welcoming Garrison Keillor back to Tucson for his “One Man Show” at Centennial Hall on Feb. 1st, as well as tuning into his program, A Prairie Home Companion, each weekend on NPR 89.1 and Classical 90.5.

As the November 2012 election season heats up, AZPM is your source for in-depth local, regional and national election coverage on TV, radio, and online. AZPM reporters will continue to provide in-depth stories of the political landscape and how they affect you, your family, and our community. Add this to the PBS and NPR national coverage from The PBS NewsHour, The Diane Rehm Show, and All Things Considered and you can see how AZPM lives up to its reputation as ‘a trusted source of in-depth news and information’.

In addition to Masterpiece Classic: “Downton Abbey” this month PBS-HD 6 will offer:

A new installment in the American Experience presidential profile series with “Clinton” on Monday, February 20th and 21st at 9 p.m. “Clinton” is the fascinating story of an American president, William Jefferson Clinton, who rose from a broken childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history, and one of the most complex and conflicted characters to ever stride across the public stage. Also this month from The American Experience is “The Amish,” a two-hour special, which examines the beliefs, lifestyle and history of the Amish, as well as their complex relationship to mainstream American culture. Beautifully and lyrically photographed, “The Amish” is part history and part observational documentary.

Antiques Roadshow continues each Monday night at 8 p.m. with brand new shows from Tulsa, Oklahoma; Eugene, Oregon; and Tampa, Florida. Highlights include signed Ty Cobb memorabilia dating back to the early 1950s, an original Rosemary’s Baby drawing by art designer Clem Hall, a 1919 oil painting by Norman Rockwell valued at $500,000, and a circa 1600 Ming Dynasty cast bronze guardian figure valued at $70,000 – $100,000.

On Tuesday the 14tu at 9 p.m., FRONTLINE presents, “The Interrupters,” a film which follows the inner workings of CeaseFire, an innovative program in Chicago designed to prevent shootings. “Interrupters” reports on the simmering disputes and the senseless shootings in their neighborhoods. Directed by Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Stevie), this film is a compelling observational journey into stubborn, persistent violence that plagues our American cities.

Nature continues with new episodes on Wednesdays: “Raccoon Nation” and “Ocean Giants” at 8 p.m. followed by new NOVA episodes; “Hunting the Elements” on February 8th and 15th at 9 p.m. The international science series, Inside Nature’s Giants continues at 10 p.m. with more new episodes, “Great White Shark” on February 1st and “Big Cats” on February 8th.

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

Jack Gibson

^ Average Quarter Hour share year over year in the Metro area; and a 2.5 percent in Total Market Cume audience, age 12+. Figures from the Fall 2011, ©Arbitron, Inc. ©Radio Research Consortium, Inc.

^^ Metro Cume audience, age 12+, from the previous survey (Summer 2011). Figures from the Fall 2011, ©Arbitron, Inc. ©Radio Research Consortium, Inc.