FISCAL YEAR-END COUNTDOWN AND LGBT PRIDE MONTH PROGRAMS

posted by Laura McKee

When triple-digit weather hits Southern Arizona, it’s an opportunity to cool off inside with great television programs from Arizona Public Media (AZPM®). We celebrate June with outstanding music programs such as the American Masters documentary Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, along with self-improvement shows including 30 Days to a Younger Heart with Dr. Stephen Masley. The special offerings are part of AZPM’s fiscal year-end countdown, which is essential to meeting current financial obligations and to providing a secure financial footing as we begin our new fiscal year on July 1st. If you have already made a contribution this year, thank you. If not, or if you would like to make an additional gift to help AZPM acquire the PBS and NPR programs you enjoy and to support the award-winning, local productions that you have come to expect from AZPM, please take this opportunity to give now.

On Friday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m., we premiere the new local and regional news and public affairs program Metro Week on PBS 6. Produced and hosted by AZPM’s Andrea Kelly, the weekly, 30-minute program will delve into key local and regional news with two components: in-depth reporting on topics relevant to Southern Arizonans and a week-in-review conversation with local journalists, including the Tucson Weekly’s Jim Nintzel, Thelma Grimes, managing editor of Tucson Local Media (Inside Tucson Business and The Explorer Newspaper) and Dylan Smith, editor and publisher of TucsonSentinel.com.

The new program is the result of a strategic decision to heighten the quality, depth and focus of the news and public affairs programming AZPM creates for Southern Arizona audiences. The new weekly series will give audiences additional opportunities to learn about their communities, will allow for more efficient management of resources, and will complement the other news, public affairs and unique local content AZPM provides across its television, radio and online platforms. The addition of Metro Week to AZPM’s television schedule will also provide viewers with a complete block of public affairs programming on Friday nights, starting with national coverage at 7 p.m. with PBS NewsHour and Washington Week, regional and local coverage with Metro Week at 8:30 p.m., and state-wide coverage with Arizona Week at 9 p.m. Metro Week will be an integral part of the weekend public affairs lineup on PBS 6 as well, airing Sundays at 10:30 a.m., with Arizona Week following at 11 a.m. Metro Week will also air on WORLD and the UA Channel. You can watch a preview of Metro Week here. Visit here for complete television program schedule listings.

In observance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, AZPM will provide an extensive lineup of special programs. From history to performing arts to independent film, PBS 6, WORLD, the UA Channel and ReadyTV will offer viewers the opportunity to explore lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, along with the broader history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements in America. Program highlights include The Grove, Independent Lens: the New Black, and The Day it Snowed in Miami. Look here for a complete list of special programs.

At the Arizona Community Action Association (ACAA) Annual Conference in Phoenix on May 8 and 9, 2014, AZPM received with the ACAA’s “Media Leadership Award.” The award was given to AZPM in recognition of its commitment to eliminating poverty, as illustrated by its production and broadcast of the Community Interactive: Poverty – The Working Poor event held in February, 2014, which helped residents learn about and understand the challenges faced by those living in poverty in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

AZPM has also been nominated for a Civic Partner Lumie Award. The Lumies, presented by the Tucson Pima Arts Council each year, recognize the many talented individuals, groups and businesses that contribute to making Southern Arizona a wellspring of creative vitality. The Civic Partner category honors an individual or organization that promotes the arts as central to our community identity and vitality. The awards ceremony will be held on June 6 at the Tucson Museum of Art Plaza. For more information, visit here.

Our efforts for the benefit of Southern Arizona would not be possible without you. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your continued support and best wishes for a pleasant summer.

Sincerely,

Jack Gibson