Nova Burns Bright
Is global warming making hurricanes more intense? Will a new technique for creating stem cells ease ethical concerns? And what causes lightning? "Science is neither sacred lore nor secret ritual," says Nova senior executive producer Paula Apsell. "Rather, it's curious people exploring fascinating questions about the world we live in." But not all timely tales about the fast-moving frontiers of science lend themselves to a full hour of television: enter Nova ScienceNow's shorter reports on breaking developments rarely covered elsewhere—from a look at hydrogen fuel cell cars to bird flu virus mutations. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of Nova's Origins miniseries, returned to WGBH this year to host the new high-energy science magazine. "With the help of great science ambassadors like Dr. Tyson, and our ambitious new-media efforts," Apsell says, "Nova is reaching out to science lovers everywhere, with impressive results." Nova podcasts generated 1.4 million iTunes downloads in their first year, and Nova ScienceNow podcasts made the iTunes top-100 list for eight straight months.
Required Viewing
Nearly two decades after its premiere, the groundbreaking series
Eyes on the Prize returned to public television on
WGBH's American Experience. Hailed as "a national
treasure, important for all the reasons that history is important," the film
remains the authoritative chronicle of the civil rights movement and the
ordinary people whose extraordinary actions changed the fabric of American
life. In its reprise, the "masterpiece of documentary filmmaking" is
accessible not only to a new
generation of viewers, but to millions more
online. And, in the spirit of inclusion that informs the series, 36 million
Americans
with hearing or vision loss have access to Eyes, some for
the first time—thanks to captioning and descriptive narration technology
from WGBH's pioneering Media Access Group.
Civic Engagement
Boston has been called the Athens of America, but even the most cerebral among us cannot attend every great lecture in town. Those who miss the myriad live events don't have to miss out:
The WGBH Forum Network offers an online,
on-demand compendium of free public lectures (Webcasts, downloads, podcasts,
and some full-screen vodcasts) on everything from Einstein's Unfinished
Symphony to Hip-Hop Politics. In partnership with leading area cultural and
academic institutions, The Forum Network helps curious minds continue journeys
that WGBH's programs begin.
AIDS Action
On the 25th anniversary of the first diagnosed cases of AIDS,
Frontline took an ambitious look back at the lessons
learned,
and political missteps made. The Age of
AIDS, a four-hour miniseries widely heralded for tackling a
complex subject with
scientific rigor and editorial fairness, is poised to be
the work of record for years to come. Just as WGBH's Rx for Survival
motivated ordinary citizens to take up the cause of global
health,
AIDS spurred viewers to action around an international pandemic. A
national educational outreach campaign and innovative Web site extended the
reach of the powerful film to a global audience in cyberspace. "Watching
Frontline reminded me why I left banking to pursue a career in public
service," wrote one viewer. And a weary AIDS worker in Arizona declared that
the film "played a central role in my decision to stay put and keep
fighting."
Heart Healthy
Twenty-three million Americans have heart disease, making it America's
number-one killer. The Hidden Epidemic: Heart Disease in
America, part of the PBS "Take One Step" Health Campaign,
explored this public health dilemma with intimate profiles of those on the
frontiers of medical science—and resources to empower individuals and
communities to take action.
