by Russell J. Peotter
General Manager, WGBY
Public Television for Western New England
Rus Peotter, General Manager of WGBY-TV. (Photo courtesy of WGBY-TV)
Usually, my updates about our public television station are focused on what’s ahead for the month. This time, however, I’d like you to consider what programs WGBY has already shown — and what remains available to watch.
For example, consider Frontline’s “The Choice.” As the Presidential Debates approach, you may ask yourself, “Why does Donald Trump make his case the way he does?” or “What drives Hillary Clinton to focus on a particular issue?” Being able to go back to watch or re-watch “The Choice” is a good way to get insight and context. Though this PBS show was broadcast on our local station last month, you can still watch it anytime online via laptop, smart TV, Roku, AppleTV, or your phone.
In fact, much of our programming is accessible online. You can watch not only when it is more convenient, but perhaps, as in the example above, more relevant.
While shows like Frontline are available to anyone long after the broadcast, other programs, such Nova, American Experience, and dramas are available to members via WGBY Passport (wgby.org/passport). An email address is all that’s required for supporting members to activate their WGBY Passport accounts and gain access to hundreds of WGBY and PBS shows. (If you’ve missed the instructions and activation code when they were sent a while back, let us know.)
But WGBY Passport isn’t the only online resource for content. PBS LearningMedia (pbslearningmedia.org) is public television’s website for educators — and for any other curious visitor. It organizes PBS content into over 100,000 learning “assets,” including videos, audio, articles, and lesson plans.
Our own Connecting Point program also offers regular Web content. The new season of the show starts this month, and producer Tony Dunne tells us much of the local October coverage will focus on the forthcoming elections and ballot questions (see page 3). New segments, along with past — but still relevant — videos are available at wgby.org/connectingpoint.
Your support has made all our content available in all these convenient, innovative ways. So, thank you for supporting your local public television and PBS member station.
