The Public Telecommunications Facilities Program awarded $36 million in digital conversion grants to 97 public TV stations Sept. 30. An additional $6 million in grants went to public radio, distance learning and TV replacement equipment. See the full list of awards.

The board of education in Columbus, Ohio, is likely to keep control of public radio station WCBE, reports This Week. An advisory committee has recommended more educational programming for the station, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

Viewers ignored the rebroadcast of Ken Burns' Civil War in favor of the Emmys and network shows such as CSI: Miami and The West Wing, according to the San Jose Mercury News. It's part of the failed PBS programming strategy of throwing its best work into the teeth of more popular network fare, writes the paper's TV critic.

Pacifica plans to launch a daily hourlong digest covering the push for war against Iraq, and will also offer live coverage of House deliberations over the President's authority to declare war.

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, debuting tonight on PBS, "does not shout, nor does it exult. It pays homage to sacrifice and achievement, and it leaves the door open to hope," writes Ron Wertheimer in today's New York Times. The website for the four-part series includes a section on how Jim Crow laws were sanctioned and supported by the national government.