Ten employees of American Public Media will lose their jobs in a strategic reorganization announced this afternoon, according to an internal memo provided to Current.
Layoffs extend across the Minnesota-based pubcaster and into its news operation in Washington, D.C., where Marketplace Bureau Chief John Dimsdale received a pink slip.
In more than 20 years with APM, Dimsdale has covered regulatory hearings, budget battles and presidential elections "with reliability and great credibility," according to the memo, which was co-authored by four of APM's top managers.
APM also released employees who work behind the scenes on Marketplace Tech Report, local broadcasts of Morning Edition, and the classical music series Pipedreams, which will continue broadcasting but on a "less-demanding" production timetable. Host Michael Barone remains on the show and will take on a "more visible regional role with Minnesota audiences."
Staff positions were also eliminated in APM's marketing and communications and creative services divisions.
In a statement provided by email, APM chief Jon McTaggart said the changes position the public media company "for future audience opportunities" by reorganizing in two key areas, "content and development."
"We are aligning our priorities to focus on two main divisions that create value for our audiences and cultivate vital relationships with our members, donors and funders," McTaggart said. "The result is a more streamlined organization that gives us a strong footing as we look ahead."
The memo announcing the downsizing was co-signed by Brian Newhouse, managing director of classical; Mary Pat Ladner, v.p. of
marketing and communications; Nick Kereakos, v.p. of technology and
operations; and J.J. Yore, v.p. and g.m. of Marketplace. "We are saddened to see these members of our APM family leave the organization," they said. "As difficult as these decisions have been, we are confident that the new organizational structure is a solid footing to support our path forward."
Five reporters continue to work out of APM's D.C. news bureau, according to Mardi Larson, spokesperson. The journalists report for KPCC in Pasadena, an APM news station that's branded as Southern California Public Radio; Minnesota Public Radio, the APM flagship in St. Paul; and Marketplace, APM's most widely distributed news program.
This is the second round of layoffs at APM in four months. Digital innovation chief Joaquin Alvarado and his California-based software development team were let go in March.
This post has been updated to include McTaggart's statement and details about APM's D.C.-based news operation.
Jul 19, 2012
BREAKING: Willard out, Walberg in as "Market Warriors" host
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According to Hopkins, Antiques Roadshow host Mark Walberg will re-voice the episodes Fred Willard had done.
As documented in a Current blog post earlier today, Willard, 78, was arrested Wednesday night (July 17) at an adult theater in Hollywood and charged with lewd conduct, the TMZ website and the Los Angeles Times are reporting.
During a random walk-through of the Tiki Theater, undercover officers with the Los Angeles Police Department found Willard allegedly engaged in a lewd act, according to TMZ and the Times. He was booked around 8:45 p.m. and released a short time later.
PBS announced the series, originally titled Market Wars, in January, from Antiques Roadshow Executive Producer Marsha Bemko. The show, later retitled Market Warriors, premiered Monday night (July 16). Willard is pictured at the show's luncheon in Denver at the PBS Annual Meeting in May.
Public radio repeats: worthwhile or creepy?
A Wall Street Journal article takes a different angle on the looming demise of Car Talk as we know it, examining how several stations have handled the ongoing broadcast of shows with retired or departed hosts. Phil Redo, managing director of WGBH, tells the paper about a fan letter sent to a jazz host who has passed away. “Do I just write back and say ‘thanks so much for your note,’ and let it go at that?” Redo asked. “Or do I say ‘thanks for your note, but you ought to know that Ray has been dead for two years.’”
While Redo and others defend airing repeats of years-old shows, Rich Conaty, a host on WFUV in New York, argues that the practice moves “into the zip code of Creepy-ville.” “If the station is committed to the music, keep it going but get a new host,” Conaty says.
While Redo and others defend airing repeats of years-old shows, Rich Conaty, a host on WFUV in New York, argues that the practice moves “into the zip code of Creepy-ville.” “If the station is committed to the music, keep it going but get a new host,” Conaty says.
CIR, Youth Speaks will pair journalists with young poets
The Center for Investigative Reporting unveiled a partnership with Youth Speaks, a nonprofit group that promotes written and oral expression among young people. The two Bay Area-based groups will match CIR's experienced journalists with young poets "to create new opportunities for 21st-century storytelling," according to the July 19 news release.
Focusing on topics like immigration, education, health care and the environment, the organizations aim to engage young audiences in discussions of current events while allowing reporters to connect on a more personal level with the perspectives of youth.
"We want to hear directly from young people so that we can better understand the challenges they face in life," said Robert Rosenthal, CIR executive director, in the announcement. "We will use that intelligence to inform and evolve our reporting so that young audiences will value investigative journalism and understand the role it can have in shaping their future."
James Kass, the founder and executive director of Youth Speaks, said the group is always on the lookout for new avenues to encourage youth to be actively engaged in community life.
CIR's reporting has been co-produced or presented on both public and commercial news media outlets, including NPR News, PBS's Frontline, CBS's 60 Minutes and The Washington Post. Earlier this year CIR merged operations with Bay Citizen, a Bay Area-based nonprofit journalism outlet focused on local news reporting.
The new partnership will be formally announced at a town hall Friday during Youth Speaks' Brave New Voices Festival in Berkeley, Calif.
Focusing on topics like immigration, education, health care and the environment, the organizations aim to engage young audiences in discussions of current events while allowing reporters to connect on a more personal level with the perspectives of youth.
"We want to hear directly from young people so that we can better understand the challenges they face in life," said Robert Rosenthal, CIR executive director, in the announcement. "We will use that intelligence to inform and evolve our reporting so that young audiences will value investigative journalism and understand the role it can have in shaping their future."
James Kass, the founder and executive director of Youth Speaks, said the group is always on the lookout for new avenues to encourage youth to be actively engaged in community life.
CIR's reporting has been co-produced or presented on both public and commercial news media outlets, including NPR News, PBS's Frontline, CBS's 60 Minutes and The Washington Post. Earlier this year CIR merged operations with Bay Citizen, a Bay Area-based nonprofit journalism outlet focused on local news reporting.
The new partnership will be formally announced at a town hall Friday during Youth Speaks' Brave New Voices Festival in Berkeley, Calif.
"Market Warriors" host arrested, charged with lewd conduct
During a random walk-through of the Tiki Theater, undercover officers with the Los Angeles Police Department found Willard allegedly engaged in a lewd act, according to TMZ and the Times. He was booked around 8:45 p.m. and released a short time later.
PBS announced the series, originally titled Market Wars, in January, from Antiques Roadshow Executive Producer Marsha Bemko. The show, later retitled Market Warriors, premiered Monday night (July 16). Willard is pictured at the show's luncheon in Denver at the PBS Annual Meeting in May.
PBS gets 58 primetime Emmy nods
Programs on PBS received 58 Emmy nominations during the early-morning announcement Thursday (July 18) in Los Angeles. The public broadcaster was topped in noncable networks only by CBS with 60 nods, and followed by NBC with 51, ABC with 48 and Fox with 26. Among cable outlets, HBO scored 81 nominations.
PubTV shows with multiple nominations include Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic with 16; Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia on Masterpiece Mystery, 13; Great Expectations on Masterpiece Classic, five; Great Performances, five; American Masters, four; Ken Burns' Prohibition, three; Masterpiece Contemporary's Page Eight, two; and Sesame Street, two.
As expected, Downton Abbey switched from miniseries to the more competitive drama category.
Last year, PBS had 43 nominations and 14 wins.
Here is a complete list of all Emmy nominations, as well as a breakdown by network.
The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards show will broadcast live starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Sept. 23 on ABC.
PubTV shows with multiple nominations include Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic with 16; Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia on Masterpiece Mystery, 13; Great Expectations on Masterpiece Classic, five; Great Performances, five; American Masters, four; Ken Burns' Prohibition, three; Masterpiece Contemporary's Page Eight, two; and Sesame Street, two.
As expected, Downton Abbey switched from miniseries to the more competitive drama category.
Last year, PBS had 43 nominations and 14 wins.
Here is a complete list of all Emmy nominations, as well as a breakdown by network.
The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards show will broadcast live starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Sept. 23 on ABC.
Sesame Workshop announces two Chinese series for American audiences
Sesame Street’s Big Bird Looks at the World focuses on children’s curiosity about nature and science. Episodes explore questions from the Muppet characters: “Where does the sun go at night?” “What are seashells?” The series, developed in China, first debuted in December 2010 on the HaHa Channel from Shanghai Toonmax Media, and on national broadcaster CCTV's Children’s Channel.
Fun Fun Elmo introduces viewers to Mandarin through animation and live action shot in China. Segments follow local children to encourage Mandarin language exposure, with each episode introducing a Chinese tone, word and stroke order for writing characters.
H. Melvin Ming, president of Sesame Workshop, said the content is "the first step in the Workshop’s developing language-learning initiative in the U.S. as we continue to address the diverse needs of our young fans.”
Attorneys for former APT exec director Pizzato file suit against Alabama ETV Commission
Current has learned that attorneys for Allan Pizzato, the former head of Alabama Public Television, have filed a civil suit against the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which unexpectedly fired him and his deputy, Pauline Howland, on June 12.
The complaint, filed Wednesday (July 18) by the Birmingham law firm of White Arnold & Dowd in the 10th Judicial Circuit in Jefferson County, alleges that commissioners violated the state's Open Meetings Act by discussing Pizzato's job performance during a closed executive session. "Because Pizzato is classified as a public employee who is required to file a statement of economic interests with the Alabama Ethics Commission," the suit says, "such a discussion of Pizzato's job performance was prohibited by the Opening Meetings Act."
The suit also reveals that Pizzato's attorneys have been unable to obtain from the commission's attorneys audio recordings and other related materials from the March and June commission meetings. During those meetings, disagreements between Pizzato and commissioners surfaced over religious programming, and commission members imposed a new mission statement for the station. "As a result of our ongoing investigation, we have discovered that commissioners are giving conflicting versions of what happened during the March and June AETC meetings," the document says.
And the complaint seeks to remove commission Chair Ferris Stephens, and void all decisions by the commission since his arrival in 2010, because, it alleges, he is ineligible to serve in that capacity. The suit cites the statue governing the commission, which states that ". . . no member of the commission shall hold any other office . . . " Stephens is an assistant attorney general.
Click here to read the entire complaint.
The complaint, filed Wednesday (July 18) by the Birmingham law firm of White Arnold & Dowd in the 10th Judicial Circuit in Jefferson County, alleges that commissioners violated the state's Open Meetings Act by discussing Pizzato's job performance during a closed executive session. "Because Pizzato is classified as a public employee who is required to file a statement of economic interests with the Alabama Ethics Commission," the suit says, "such a discussion of Pizzato's job performance was prohibited by the Opening Meetings Act."
The suit also reveals that Pizzato's attorneys have been unable to obtain from the commission's attorneys audio recordings and other related materials from the March and June commission meetings. During those meetings, disagreements between Pizzato and commissioners surfaced over religious programming, and commission members imposed a new mission statement for the station. "As a result of our ongoing investigation, we have discovered that commissioners are giving conflicting versions of what happened during the March and June AETC meetings," the document says.
And the complaint seeks to remove commission Chair Ferris Stephens, and void all decisions by the commission since his arrival in 2010, because, it alleges, he is ineligible to serve in that capacity. The suit cites the statue governing the commission, which states that ". . . no member of the commission shall hold any other office . . . " Stephens is an assistant attorney general.
Click here to read the entire complaint.
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