U.S. House Budget Proposal Eliminates Funding for Public Broadcasting

* * U P D A T E * *

Our Rhode Island Congressional delegation - U.S. Senators Reed and Whitehouse, and U.S. Representatives Langevin and Cicilline - have expressed support for public broadcasting. If you still want to make your opinion known to them, of course you are welcome to do so. However, WSBE provides this announcement of the House budget debate to keep you informed, and invites you to join 170MillionAmericans.org.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS appreciates the support of our Congressional delegation - and your support. Thank you!

* * * * * * * *

Here is an important message from WSBE President and CEO David Piccerelli:

Congress will take a critical vote in the next few days to eliminate all federal support for local public television and radio stations.

Federal funding provides an important share of the WSBE Rhode Island PBS funding. It helps us to deliver educational and commercial-free programming that expands children’s minds, documentaries that open up new worlds to you, trusted news programs that keep you informed, and exposes you to the worlds of music, theater, dance and art as an adult.

Some say that there is no longer a need for federal support for public broadcasting. Others believe it’s one of the worthiest places to invest federal dollars. More importantly, though, is what you think.

You can show your support by visiting 170MillionAmericans.org and sign up and receive updates. 

Thank you,
David Piccerelli
President and CEO
WSBE Rhode Island PBS

"The Winemakers" - It's Reality TV, Public-Television Style

FOODIES HAVE “TOP CHEF,” FASHIONISTAS HAVE “PROJECT RUNWAY,” FINALLY WINE LOVERS HAVE A REALITY TV SHOW ALL THEIR OWN

As I researched The Winemakers series to write about it, I found quite a bit of buzz about it online, particularly in wine blogs. The much-anticipated series was met with great enthusiasm by its audience when it was announced in 2008. About two years later, it finally made it to the public television airwaves for the first time.

Now, season 1 of The Winemakers - with its six 30-minute episodes - makes its return by popular demand  to WSBE Rhode Island PBS Wednesdays at 7 PM, beginning February 9 (digital 36.1, Cox/Verizon/Full Channel 08, Comcast subscribers check local listings; Dish 7776; DirecTV 36).

The Winemakers follows 12 men and women as they compete for a chance to create and launch their own wine label nationwide. Produced in a reality television series format, this first season includes a passionate and diverse group of contestants from the vineyard to the boardroom as they struggle to make their wildest dream come true.

More than two years in the making The Winemakers is a novel concept that provides a refreshing approach to more traditional wine programming. The series is a production of Doc City Productions and a presentation of South Carolina ETV. Polly Kosko, SCETV’s Executive Vice President of National Programming is not only a fan of the concept but believes the show will attract new audiences to Public Television.

“It’s a perfect match," Kosko said. "The Winemakers will appeal to the PBS viewer who is already interested in culinary programming, and will attract new audiences who are fans of the reality genre. It’s a winwin for our audiences.”

But executive producer and creator Kevin Whelan notes getting the show off the ground wasn't easy: “This show is something totally different for the wine category and it took the confidence of a major powerhouse in the wine world to embrace the concept.” Then industry leader Beringer Vineyards signed on as a major sponsor.

“Beringer is pleased to be a part of this groundbreaking series and honor the passion, art and science that is winemaking,” noted Peter Willmert, Marketing Director for Beringer Vineyards. Willmert continues, “Sponsorship of The Winemakers is a great fit for us as we've only had seven winemakers at the helm of Beringer since our establishment in 1876.”

The Winemakers series employs some of the same devices used on other competitive reality TV shows including action-packed challenges, dramatic elimination scenes and the heartbreak of being asked “to leave the wine cellar.” But in keeping with Public Television’s reputation for quality programming that entertains and informs, The Winemakers offers a rare insider’s view of how the world’s most storied beverage is made and sold.

“This has been an amazing experience for the cast, truly a once in a lifetime opportunity” says Leslie Sbrocco, one of the three main judges, and well-known wine writer, author and host of Public Television’s Check Please. “Many of the contestants are truly passionate about wine but whether they have what it takes to become a wine maker... well, that’s another story.”

Other main judges include, Mark Oldman, author of the bestselling Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine, and Los Angeles-based wine writer Corie Brown. A host of guest judges also include Food and Wine magazine writer Lettie Teague, and Doug Frost, who holds the distinction of being only one of three people worldwide to hold both a Master of Wine and Master Sommelier title.



More clips from the show can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/winemakerstv

source: http://www.aptonline.org

GOD IN AMERICA series begins October 20

WSBE Rhode Island PBS airs a new 6-hour PBS series from the producers of American Experience and Frontline: God in America at 9 PM on three consecutive Wednesdays, October 20, October 27, and November 3 (with series re-broadcast at 1:30 AM on October 22, October 29, and November 5.) 

What follows is the introduction to an interview with the producers of the documentary, Michael Sullivan and Marilyn Mellowes, courtesy of pbs.org: 

What was the genesis of God in America? Why take on this subject now?

You don't need to look any further that today's political/religious controversies -- over President Obama's personal faith, plans to build an Islamic center in lower Manhattan, or threats by a Florida pastor to burn copies of the Quran -- to sense the relevance of a series on how religious ideas and spiritual experience shaped America's public life.

However, the genesis of God in America did not occur in the crucible of today's headlines, but during a conference WGBH convened several years ago to discuss, with a room full of scholars and thinkers about religion, what direction public broadcasting could take to do more about the role of religious faith for an American audience.

The consensus at that conference was that America had a religious literacy problem. Several scholars define the problem this way: "Although many Americans are deeply religious, man can also be profoundly ignorant about religion -- about other faiths and sometimes even their own, as well as the religious history of the country."

Out of that conference five years ago came the idea for God in America -- to tell the often-neglected historical story of how religious ideas and spiritual experience shaped the public life of the country.

And undergirding the effort is a simple idea: In America, religion matters. In American history, it has always mattered, and we can't fully understand the American story without also understanding our religious history.

The rest of the interview...

Special Thanksgiving Programming

Before, between, and after all of the meeting, greeting, heating, seating, and eating you may be planning for Thanksgiving Day, WSBE Rhode Island PBS has ideal family entertainment. We're ready when you are!

Wednesday, November 25

8 P.M. AMERICAN MASTERS Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
(Re-broadcast on Thanksgiving Day at 3:30 P.M.)

9:30 P.M. James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
(re-broadcast on Thanksgiving Day at 2 P.M.)

The program salutes one of Hollywood's best-loved actors. Stewart, who started his career as a magician and accordionist, rose to stardom portraying ordinary men who called on their interior strengths to accomplish extraordinary things. Produced and directed by David Heeley and hosted by Johnny Carson, James Stewart: A Wonderful Life features interviews with Hollywood luminaries and visits to the sets of Stewart's most popular films, creating a moving tribute to a truly unforgettable actor.


Thursday, November 26 (Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!)

2 P.M. Re-broadcast of James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

3:30 P.M. Re-broadcast of AMERICAN MASTERS Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character

5 P.M. Full 6-hour series Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America


Friday, November 27

1 - 6 P.M. Wishbone marathon.  
#201 “Halloween Hound: The Legend of the Creepy Collars" The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Part 1
#202 "Halloween Hound" Part 2
#203 “The Prince of Wags” Henry IV
#204 “Groomed for Greatness” Great Expectations
#205 “A Bone of Contention” The Courtship of Miles Standish
#206 “War of the Noses” The Black Arrow
#207 “Moonbone” The Moonstone
#208 “Barking at Buddha” Monkey
#209 “Pup Fiction” Northanger Abbey
#210 “The Roamin’ Nose” The Aeneid

8:30 P.M. MASTERPIECE CLASSIC Wuthering Heights
The Earnshaw children expect gifts from their father when he returns to Wuthering Heights after a trip, but are instead greeted with the arrival of Heathcliff, a young Gypsy boy who has come to live with them. Quiet and mysterious, Heathcliff is befriended by Cathy Earnshaw, and the two become inseparable. In adulthood, their bond deepens to love, but a forced absence opens Cathy to the affections of a different suitor — Edgar Linton. Given the choice between a life of comfort and a profound love, Cathy's actions have repercussions for multiple generations in this haunting story of turbulent passion and revenge. Tom Hardy (Oliver Twist) stars as Heathcliff, with newcomer Charlotte Riley as Cathy. Watch behind-the-scenes video here.

Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction Preview

With more than 800 items and counting, the Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction has something for everyone, and something to fit every budget! These two videos are just a small sampling of what we have. Check out all the items so far at www.ripbs.org.

You can do it all online! Preview, place a bid, submit a proxy bid, check the end times of your favorite auctions, and track competing bids in real time. It's on TV live April 20-24 starting at 7PM, but official bidding is online exclusively.

Rhode Island PBS broadcasts over-the-air on digital 36.1; Cox/Verizon/FullChannel 8; DirecTV 36; Dish 7776; MA cable subscribers should check cable listings for local channel number.

Wakefield 7th Grader Wins RI Title in "National Geographic" Bee

National Geographic and Maryland Public Television, National Productions, today announced the names of the students who won their State Geography Bees and will participate in the 2009 National Geographic Bee in May.

The Rhode Island winner is Oliver Lucier, 7th Grade, Broad Rock Middle School, Wakefield. Congratulations!

Up to 100 fourth- to eighth-graders in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools have qualified for the state Bees. Oliver and the other state winners will receive $100, the "National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World," and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals on May 19-20 and the chance to be crowned National Geographic Bee champion.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS will broadcast the National Geographic Bee on Thursday, May 21 at 3 PM, with re-broadcast on Saturday, May 23 at noon.

First prize in the national competition is a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Second- and third-place finishers receive $15,000 and $10,000 college scholarships. Additionally, the national winner will travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galápagos Islands with "Jeopardy!" quiz show host and National Geographic Bee moderator Alex Trebek and the "Jeopardy!" Clue Crew. The winner will experience geography firsthand through up-close encounters with the wildlife and landscape of the Galápagos.

We won't know until close to the actual air date who made the finals and will be in the broadcast, but we'll post the updates here as we get them.

Congratulations, Oliver! Best of luck in the next round!

Critical Condition: A Rhode Island Prognosis (Nov 20, 8PM)

Since 2002, the number of Rhode Islanders without medical insurance has doubled. Why? Who are Rhode Island's uninsured? Where can they turn for coverage? Why does it cost so much?

These questions - and some surprising answers - are explored in the new Rhode Island PBS production, CRITICAL CONDITION: A RHODE ISLAND PROGNOSIS, written, produced, and directed by Maria Saracen. The one-hour program is divided into two segments: a 30-minute documentary that features RI providers and administrators of health care and health insurance, and a 30-minute in-studio discussion led by WJAR NBC10 Health Check Reporter Barbara Morse Silva. CRITICAL CONDITION: A RHODE ISLAND PROGNOSIS airs at 8 P.M. on Thursday, November 20, followed by the national documentary from P.O.V., Critical Condition at 9 P.M., on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (channel 36, digital 36.1, cable 8, DirecTV 36, Dish 7776).

The documentary features enlightening facts and important commentary from (in order of appearance) Vincent Mor, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Community Health at Brown University; Christopher F. Koller, Health Insurance Commissioner; James E. Purcell, President and CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island; Merrill Thomas, MBA, CEO and executive director of the Providence Community Health Centers; Paul J. Tencher, director of communications for the Rhode Island Free Clinic; Dr. Caroline Troise, medical director of the Rhode Island Free Clinic; Gary Alexander, director of the RI Department of Human Services; Dr. Michael Fine, managing director of Health Access RI; K. Nicholas Tsiongas, MD, MPH, past president of the Rhode Island Medical Society; Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts; and Edward J. Quinlan, president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island (HARI).

Overall, the picture painted by these experts is not very encouraging but, considering the national debate, it should come as no surprise. What may be surprising to viewers are some of the myth-shattering facts about health care and medical insurance in RI. Plus, there are a few bright spots presented, even if they will not materialize overnight.

WJAR NBC10 Health Check Reporter Barbara Morse Silva expands on some of the issues raised in the documentary in a probative discussion with Dr. David Gifford, director of the RI Department of Health; John Cogan, executive assistant for Policy and Program Review in the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner; and Rajiv Kumar, founder and chairman of Shape Up RI. The lively discussion also examines the availability of health care services in Rhode Island, doctor’s fee-for-service incentives, the importance of preventative health care, the health care costs and outcomes of other countries, and the future of health care in RI.

Following the local perspective, Rhode Island PBS presents the national documentary from P.O.V., Critical Condition, at 9 P.M. Roger Weisberg (Waging a Living, P.O.V. 2006) puts a human face on the nation's growing health care crisis by capturing the harrowing struggles of four critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings, and even their lives. Filmed in verité style, Critical Condition offers a moving and invaluable exposé at a time when the nation is debating how to extend health insurance to all Americans.

Production of CRITICAL CONDITION: A RHODE ISLAND PROGNOSIS and local broadcast of P.O.V. Critical Condition are part of the Critical Condition Outreach Campaign, co-managed by P.O.V. and Outreach Extensions, and made possible by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the California Endowment, the California Health Care Foundation, the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the Fledgling Fund, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, the Missouri Foundation for Health, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Park Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, the Spunk Fund and the Trull Foundation.

Bush's War

From the horror of 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq; the truth about WMD to the rise of an insurgency; the scandal of Abu Ghraib to the strategy of the surge—for six years, FRONTLINE has revealed the defining stories of the war on terror in meticulous detail, and the political dramas that played out at the highest levels of power and influence.

Now, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga unfolds in the two-part FRONTLINE special Bush's War, airing on Rhode Island PBS on Thursdays, April 3, from 9 to 11:30 P.M. and April 10, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET.

Drawing on one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism — more than 40 FRONTLINE reports on the war on terror - combined with fresh reporting and new interviews, Bush's War will be the definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in our nation's history.

Watch the clip (but ignore the publicized dates). Watch the documentary. Share your comments.

CARING FOR YOUR PARENTS - Preview

Here's an advance look at CARING FOR YOUR PARENTS, an important documentary we're airing on Wednesday, APRIL 16 at 9 PM.

Spring (Auction) Fever

If it's Spring, it's time for the Rhode Island PBS SPRING AUCTION!

Sure enough, today is the first day of online bidding for Spotlight items!

Spotlight items (formerly called Majors and Specials) are our most sought after, unique, and exciting donations. When you click on an item, you'll find all the details you need to make an informed bid, including images, a link to the donor's website, and the sell-off time. Spotlight items will be auctioned online only on Saturday, April 26.

Hundreds of other great items will be available for live auction each night during our televised auction April 21 - April 26, starting at 7 PM Monday-Friday, and at 5PM on Saturday.

Don't Miss That Great Buy Again!

This year, the rapid response from our hundreds of generous donors combined flawlessly with advanced technology - and a lot of sweat and organization by our two auction staff - to make an important improvement we've been dreaming of for years. For the first time ever, the entire schedule of items - the day and time (within a half hour) that an item will be auctioned - is available online in advance of the televised auction. In fact, the schedule is ready right NOW.

This improvement allows us to show you that we acknowledge and respect your limited viewing time. As exciting and important as the live auction is - it's THE priority for all station staff for that entire week - we know you may not be able to dedicate your week glued to your television for four hours a night, waiting for those items you know we'll be featuring at some point.

Now, if you invest a little time reviewing the schedule first, you can KNOW when we'll auction off all those great buys that peak your interest, and you can plan to watch, bid, and WIN!

Everybody Wins

The Spring Auction is the biggest fund raising event for the station. The money we raise from winning bids goes a long way in keeping the programs you love to watch on Rhode Island PBS.

The auction is a win-win-WIN deal:

1. Local businesses win by making a tax-deductible charitable donation, and receiving on-air television recognition for their generosity.
2. High bidders win by supporting high quality programs and specials on Rhode Island PBS, and get great deals for their generosity.
3. Rhode Island PBS wins by getting the funds we need to deliver the quality programming you just can't find on other channels, without commercial interruption.

Browse online SPOTLIGHT items here

Review the live auction SCHEDULE here

AFTERMATH: The Station Fire Five Years Later

It doesn't happen often enough, but sometimes government red tape simply evaporates just in time to accomplish some real good.

That's exactly what happened late last week when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a waiver to Rhode Island PBS to simulcast a charity concert with VH1 to benefit The Station nightclub fire survivors and their families. The one-hour television program, VH1 Classic Presents: AFTERMATH: The Station Fire Five Years Later, airs Sunday night, March 23, from 10-11 P.M. It's fitting that the show should air on Easter Sunday - the February 25 concert at the Dunkin Donuts Center was called "Phoenix Rising."

Rhode Island PBS is simulcasting the show so viewers without pay television service can watch it over the air on channel 36. The show will be simulcast on VH1 Classic, on VH1, and on MHD: Music High Definition.

By FCC rules, public television stations are restricted from using their airtime to directly raise funds for organizations other than themselves. Because the concert benefits The Station Family Fund, Rhode Island PBS had to seek special approval by the FCC to air the show.

The "Phoenix Rising" charity concert featured an eclectic mix of classic rock and country music, New England artists and nationally-known acts. Twisted Sister, Winger, and Tesla performed, as did Aaron Lewis of Staind and Eric Martin of Mr. Big. Country artists taking part included John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Dierks Bentley.

A one-hour special created from the four-hour concert, VH1 Classic Presents: AFTERMATH: The Station Fire Five Years Later will feature concert highlights from the Phoenix Rising! Musicians United to Benefit the Victims of the Station Nightclub Fire and include interviews with the music fans who survived the horrific fire five years ago.

All proceeds benefit The Station Family Fund, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization founded by survivors of The Station Nightclub fire. The Station Family Fund is committed to providing survivor relief, including costs of ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.

It's an honor for Rhode Island PBS to help bring this program to the public.

Bret Michaels introduces the show.

Please feel free to share your thoughts about the live concert if you attended, about the televised version of the show, or about The Station nightclub fire.

Narragansetts tell their Stories in Stone

From the rhythmic chink of a chisel on granite to the twittering flute over the placid landscape, Stories in Stone casts a mystical enchantment right from the beginning. What follows for the next 26 minutes measures up to – even exceeds – expectations set by the opening.

Stories in Stone is an engaging film about the Narragansett tribal stone masons who, over the last four hundred years, have built many stone walls that wind picturesquely through the woods of southern New England. Interspersing footage that elegantly captures the beauty of the walls with interviews with tribal elders and members of two prominent Narragansett mason families, producers / directors / writers Marc Levitt and Lilach Dekel weave a story that is both poetic and inspirational. In the photo is Russel Spears, one of South County's master stone masons.Filmed in both video and film, Stories in Stone uses scenic footage and original music to express both the traditional and contemporary aspects of this craft. With no central narrator, Stories in Stone allows the Narragansett to tell their own story.

Stories in Stone began filming in 2002 as a result of Marc Levitt’s enduring interest in stone walls of southern New England. Marc first wrote a story about a stone wall mason in 1983. He conducted oral histories with stone masons at a local storytelling festival in 1986. He worked on a joint photographic/oral history project about the masons of South County, Rhode Island, in 2000 with photographer Mathias Oppersdorff. Now, Marc shares with a wider audience his interest and passion for the walls and their builders.

The Greatest Salesman in Rhode Island

Ahh, the power of motivation!

When I previewed The Greatest Salesman in Rhode Island, I was struck by the transformation of the main character (played with perfection by Stephen Thorne) from a bumbling, timid reader of radio copy to a suave, confident - and persuasive - star of the airwaves.

The Greatest Salesman in Rhode Island is rich in historical and cultural content. It's also peppered with humorous local Rhode Island references - you can't resist smiling. The double entendres will make you laugh out loud.

The one act play is based on a lost manuscript by Pulitzer Prize winning Rhode Island author Edwin O'Connor (The Last Hurrah). The Greatest Salesman in Rhode Island was adapted for stage and screen and directed by Rhode Islander Robert Rose, winner of six Emmy Awards from the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Rose discovered the manuscript while researching O'Connor's biography.

The Greatest Salesman in Rhode Island looks like a 1950s television comedy – complete with minimal sets, scene transition wipes, and laugh track. The cast is small but talented: Trinity Repertory Company’s Stephen Thorne; Bob Colonna, winner of the prestigious Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts; and Susan Boyce, national touring entertainer. Rhode Island talent at its best!

The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) has accepted the 30-minute program for distribution to public television stations nationwide. As the presenting station, Rhode Island PBS is able to air the show before its national television premiere later this spring. We're proud to bring it to you!

The Greatest Salesman in Rhode Island will air on WSBE Rhode Island PBS on Wednesday, March 26 at 8 PM.

WATCH THE PROMO!!

Prayer in America: A Rhode Island Perspective

Rhode Island is unique in its richly diverse religious community. Perhaps it's not so surprising, considering religious freedom was the basis on which Roger Williams founded the new colony.

On January 24, Rhode Island PBS sponsored an interfaith conference at the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island Multicultural Center in Kingston. The conversation continues.

Later this week and next, Rhode Island PBS presents a thought-provoking two-part documentary entitled PRAYER IN AMERICA. The documentary project enlisted academic advisors with expertise in a variety of faith traditions and historical perspectives to examine this important issue in-depth for the first time. In the short span of two hours (part 1 at 8 PM on Thursday, February 21; part 2 at 8 PM on Thursday, February 28), the documentary covers the history how prayer has shaped the American experience, and how America as a nation has impacted prayer and prayer practices, from crisis to forgiveness, from social justice to civil religion.

Rhode Island leaders representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Native American – and even atheist – perspectives gathered at Rhode Island PBS studios recently for a very special interfaith discussion of issues raised in the documentary, PRAYER IN AMERICA.

Hour one of PRAYER IN AMERICA will air on Thursday, February 21 at 8 PM, followed by the local discussion at 9 PM. The host of both local discussions is Marc Joel Levitt, and his guests for part 1 will be The Reverend Doctor Donald Anderson, Imam Farid Ansari, Rabbi Marc Jagolinzer, former Buddhist monk and community activist Pich Choen, and Narragansett tribal elder Paula Dove Jennings.

The second hour of PRAYER IN AMERICA will air one week later, on Thursday, February 28 at 8 PM. The local discussion at 9 PM includes The Reverend Doctor Liliana DaValle, The Reverend Timothy Burger, The Reverend Father John Codega, The Reverend Doctor Janice Thompson, and Brown University Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Matthew Bagger, PhD.


Seated (left to right): Rev. Dr. Janice Thompson, Rev. Dr. Liliana DaValle, Paula Dove Jennings. Standing (left to right): Fr. John Codega, Marc Levitt, Rabbi Marc Jagolinzer, Rev. Timothy Burger, Rev. Dr. Don Anderson, Dr. Matthew Bagger, Imam Farid Ansari, and Pich Choen.

Production of the local programs is part of an extensive national outreach effort funded by the John Templeton Foundation, and administered through Los Angeles-based Outreach Extensions. Like the film, the outreach campaign is multi-faith in its perspectives and designed to engage and involve the public in a greater discussion of the issues raised in the film. Visit http://www.prayerinamerica.org/ for clips and information.

You are invited to share with us your thoughts and comments about PRAYER IN AMERICA.
What are your own faith traditions?
What is the role of prayer in your own life?

Announcing School Cancellations Due to Snow

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND (December 19, 2007) – No need to turn the channel on your child's favorite program to find out if a morning snowfall is going to change your plans. WSBE Rhode Island PBS will now broadcast announcements of school cancellations, beginning with the next snow storm.

"We're ready to provide this important service to our viewers," said Rhode Island PBS President Bob Fish. "The technology is now place to get that news on the air for parents," Fish said.

As a member of the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association, Rhode Island PBS has access to the same information as the commercial networks. The announcements of closings at schools and day care centers will appear on the lower third of the screen, while the regular programming continues uninterrupted.

Kathryn Larsen, the station's program director said, "Children can continue to watch their shows while parents can get the information they need."

Preparations are currently underway to also list cancellations on the Rhode Island PBS Web site (www.ripbs.org).