Hosted by Co-Anchors Alison Stewart and Jon Meacham, This Multi-Platform Current Affairs
News Magazine — Created and Produced by WNET.ORG New York — Will be Taped
From WNET.ORG's New Flagship Studio at Lincoln Center in New York City
Visit www.PBS.org/NeedToKnow
NEW YORK, May 7, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PBS, America's most-trusted provider of news and information, will continue to be a dynamic source of current affairs coverage for today's media consumers.
Each week's online up-to-the-minute story development through interviews, blogs and photo features for Need To Know will culminate in the weekly one-hour broadcast, curated from the week's reporting by various beat teams. The editorial focus of Need To Know will include current events, culture (media, technology, entertainment, the arts), health, science, politics, economy, energy, security, investigative. The broadcast will feature documentary-style field reports both domestic and international, short features and studio-based interviews and conversation to complement and advance the produced reports. The web experience will be rich with content exclusive of the broadcast, with book excerpts, podcasts, Q&As and guest blogs. The production teams will invite interaction and input from online readers and users who are on the lookout for the latest information on a given subject.
Need To Know is one of the key components of a PBS news and public affairs initiative, the first phase of which focuses on improving service to the public on-air, online and service to communities through local stations. Viewers of Need To Know will get in-depth, intelligent, engaging, witty, thoughtful news analysis and current affairs, anytime and anywhere, to better understand the deeper issues of our time.
PBS viewers saw the first phase of changes to the new broadcast line-up with the debut of the redesigned PBS NewsHour in December and the revamped Nightly Business Report in early January. PBS is also joining leading public media entities in a partnership to develop a local/national system to support stations in responding more effectively to the gaps in local journalism created by the upheaval in the newspaper industry.
Need To Know joins PBS's acclaimed public affairs lineup, including PBS NewsHour and Nightly Business Report, as well as Frontline and Washington Week With Gwen Ifill.
About WNET.ORG
New York public media company WNET.ORG is a pioneering provider of television and web content. The parent of Thirteen, WLIW21 and Creative News Group, WNET.ORG brings such acclaimed broadcast series and websites as, Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Secrets of the Dead, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, Visions, Consuelo Mack WealthTrack, Miffy and Friends, and Cyberchase to national and international audiences. Through its wide range of channels and platforms, WNET.ORG serves the entire New York City metro area with unique local productions, broadcasts and innovative educational and cultural projects. In all that it does, WNET.ORG pursues a single, overarching goal – to create media experiences of lasting significance for New York, America and the world. For more information, visit www.wnet.org.
The WNET.ORG logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7432
About PBS
PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans from every walk of life the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches more than 124 million people on-air and online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at http://www.pbs.org/">www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.