Miami and Reno pubcasters partner for lunar eclipse webcast in December

Two public broadcasters are collaborating with an Ohio observatory and Nevada planetarium in a unique partnership to bring a December lunar eclipse live to web viewers worldwide. KNPB in Reno, Nev., and Star Gazers, a production of WPBT2 in Miami, are producing the streaming event, which "offers the opportunity for everyone to enjoy and discuss the entire lunar eclipse regardless of their location," said co-host Marlene Hildago, a science educator with the Miami Science Museum. She'll host with Dean Regas, outreach astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory; Bill Dishong, series producer of the new Star Gazers as well as the original Star Gazer with Jack Horkheimer; and Dan Ruby, associate director of the Fleischmann Planetarium in Reno.

The Miami station had great success last year with a live stream of a lunar eclipse, ending up with more than 1,000 new Facebook friends and raves from chat-room participants from as far away as Japan.

PBS UK channel inks carriage deal with Virgin Media

PBS UK, the Public Broadcasting Service's first international commercial channel, has finalized a carriage deal with Virgin Media. The agreement includes rights to offer PBS content across its TV On Demand services, including the Virgin Media online and its mobile player. The deal "gives PBS the best chance of reaching the widest audience," said Richard Kingsbury, PBS UK general manager. PBS UK content also will run on Sky Digital.