Old Sesame Street a "frightening glimpse of simpler times"

"The old Sesame Street is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for softies born since 1998, when the chipper 'Elmo’s World' started. Anyone who considers bull markets normal, extracurricular activities sacrosanct and New York a tidy, governable place — well, the original Sesame Street might hurt your feelings," writes Virginian Heffernan in a New York Times Magazine article about how old school Sesame Street episodes, now available on DVD, "may not suit the needs of today's preschool child" and are a "frightening glimpse of simpler times."

San Diego city attorney withdraws KPBS records request

San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre has withdrawn his request for KPBS records about programming decisions and its relationship with The San Diego Union-Tribune. "Aguirre made the decision after speaking with a First Amendment expert who advised him that his requests were inappropriate for a government official," reports the Union-Tribune. The investigation began in August after KPBS cancelled its local public affairs program Full Focus. Aguirre has maintained that the public needs to know why the show was cancelled. He accused the Union-Tribune, which he called a "conservative establishment newspaper," of influencing KPBS editorial content and decision-making, a charge the station has denied.

Public media encounters new media in Columbus

A social media gathering in Columbus, Ohio, last week brought local bloggers together to discuss how traditional and new media can collaborate to address community needs. WOSU and the Center for Science and Industry co-sponsored the event in their shared public space, WOSU@COSI.