Pubcaster Tavis Smiley is chosen by Time for its top 100

Tavis Smiley, host of talk shows on PBS and Public Radio International, is one of "The World's Most Influential People" as chosen by Time magazine. The list of 100 includes individuals in politics, business, arts, science, media and more, each considered to have transformed the world in some way. This year’s honorees include President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, champion golfer Tiger Woods, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, rapper M.I.A., media mogul Ted Turner and actor Brad Pitt. Smiley is also the author or editor of 14 books and created of the traveling museum exhibit, America I AM: The African American Imprint.

Swine flu station resources

The National Center for Media Engagement (formerly NCO) has assembled suggestions and resources to help stations keep audiences informed on the swine flu illness. Included is specific information that stations can offer citizens, including Web links and widgets; suggestions for coverage; and a comment box for sharing plans, ideas and materials. The mission of the center is to help public media build community connections across multiple platforms.

PubTV faves near end of tour

Longtime pledge fave Celtic Thunder continues to rumble across continents. Its latest tour stop: Edmonton, Alberta, where The Edmonton Journal chats with lead vocalist Keith Harkin. More on the lads at their website.

Great Falls approaches goal of PBS transmitter

Thanks in part to local schoolchildren, Great Falls, Mont., is closing in on its goal of securing a PBS transmitter, according to The Great Falls Tribune. "Sacajawea (School) was selling cookies," said Kerry Callahan Bronson, chairwoman of the board of Friends of MontanaPBS. "East Middle School teachers paid to wear jeans. Each school did their own thing." Currently the group has less than $25,000 left to raise of its nearly $1.3 million goal. According to the newspaper, Great Falls is one of the nation's largest cities to lack a free public television broadcast signal. The group hopes to be on the air by fall.

Summer movie alert: Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do you have what it takes?

Who says there are no good movie roles for mature women anymore? Meryl Streep opens Aug. 7 in Julie & Julia as the late Julia Child. Writer-director Nora Ephron confects a screenplay from Child's memoir My Life in France, folded gently into Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell, the Gen-X author of what may be claimed to be the first book based on a blog. With Amy Adams as Julie, Stanley Tucci as Paul Child. Here's Columbia Pictures' trailer. Bon appetit! Fans can hope for a prequel with Child as an OSS officer turning the course of World War II.