Business reporting Emmys go to Frontline and NewsHour

PBS received two Emmys for Business and Financial Reporting at ceremonies today in New York City. The awards recognize eight categories of programming. Frontline's "The Madoff Affair" won for outstanding doc on a business topic, and NewsHour won for outstanding coverage of a current business news story in a regularly scheduled newscast, for two segments of its "Faces Behind the Numbers" look at unemployment. Previously announced lifetime achievement Emmys went to retiring Paul Kangas, anchor and financial commentator for Nightly Business Report, and Linda O'Bryan, the show's founder and current chief content officer at Northern California Public Broadcasting. A list of winners is online at the Emmy website.

Sesame Workshop, Hasbro join forces

Sesame Workshop and Mattel are ending their long marketing relationship in January, reports Broadcasting & Cable. The Workshop has inked a 10-year deal with Hasbro to market toys and games based on Sesame Street characters, beginning next month. The Workshop signaled it wanted to move away from Mattel's holiday-oriented marketing strategy to Hasbro's year-round brand development. Hasbro includes the Playskool, Milton Bradley, Tonka and Parker Bros. lines, B&C notes.

KCSM has $6,000 toward its Jan. 1 fundraising goal of $1 million

KCSM in San Mateo is still struggling despite some $800,000 in cuts -- including dropping PBS membership. The Oakland Tribune reports the station needs to hit its $1 million fundraising goal by Jan. 1; so far it has raised $6,000. Marilyn Lawrence, g.m., fears the San Mateo County Community College District may be forced to sell KCSM, which has been on the air since 1964. The 1.5 million watt station broadcasts to San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and is carried on 60 cable systems.

NPR's Liasson asked to think twice about appearing on Fox

Politico is reporting that NPR executives recently asked political correspondent Mara Liasson to reconsider her relationship with Fox News. NPR brass is concerned that the cable news channel's programming has grown more partisan and regular appearances on Fox by Liasson and NPR news analyst Juan Williams add to the perception that NPR tilts to the left, according to Politico. Liasson declined to sever her ties with Fox. Williams, whose NPR contract gives him wide latitude for outside work, no longer identifies himself as an NPR analyst when appearing on the cable channel. NPR denies that its request for Liasson has anything to do with the White House's recent campaign to discredit Fox as a shill for the Republican party. An unnamed source tells Politico that the White House criticism of Fox came up during talks with Liasson.

Car talk with Bohdan

Follow a KCET crew as program guru Bohdan Zachary tags along to the LA Auto Show. Huell Howser's reporting will be part of the station's evening of car programming Jan. 14, featuring the doc Who Killed the Electric Car? Howser chatted with GM reps about their electric Chevy Volt, available starting next year.