Dear Friends,
Happy New Fiscal Year! Community financial support is both the engine and the driver behind AZPM. The support of members like you makes it possible for AZPM to acquire national programs from PBS and NPR, offer K-12 educational resources, provide on-the-job training for University of Arizona students, and deliver life-saving emergency alert services. I’m delighted to report that our end-of-fiscal-year fundraising campaign met its goal, putting AZPM in a strong financial position to begin a new fiscal year. Thank you!
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to rescind previously approved federal funding for public media, following a formal request from the White House. Much of this funding directly supports local public media organizations like AZPM. Our share of this funding directly supports the production of original local content such as Arizona Illustrated, Arizona Spotlight, The Press Room, podcasts, and daily radio newscasts.
The bill moves to the Senate this month, where passage is a real possibility. If it succeeds, AZPM and public stations all across the country could lose federal support for at least the next two years, if not longer.
With this threat now imminent, one thing is clear: AZPM will depend more than ever on the generous support of viewers and listeners like you. If you can, please make a gift today. Your contribution will help us prepare for what’s next. What once felt like uncertainty has become one of the most serious funding challenges public media has faced in decades. Your support today strengthens AZPM’s ability to weather this storm and continue serving communities throughout Southern Arizona.
With local newspapers across the country vanishing at an alarming rate and social media platforms retreating from fact-checking, AZPM’s independent local journalism has never been more essential. Our unique public-private funding model relies on donors like you to deliver trusted news and national programs from PBS, NPR, BBC, and more. Now more than ever, your support matters. To learn more, please visit protectmypublicmedia.org.
AZPM was honored with multiple national awards from PMJA for work produced in 2024.
I’m pleased to announce that AZPM’s news team has been honored with three prestigious national awards from the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA). AZPM’s newsroom earned one first-place and two second-place national awards, demonstrating the team’s commitment to powerful storytelling, accountability journalism, and service to the community. The winning stories are:
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First Place – Narrative/Produced Program
Tapped – Season 3
Produced by Christopher Conover, Zac Ziegler, Paola Rodriguez, Katya Mendoza, Hannah Cree, and Danyelle Khmara -
Second Place – Documentary
Tapped: “Broken Promises, Contaminated Waters: Uranium Mining on the Navajo Nation”
By Paola Rodriguez, Katya Mendoza, and Zac Ziegler -
Second Place – Continuing Coverage
“Arizona's reproductive rights reckoning: A year of historic change”
By Paola Rodriguez, Christopher Conover, Steve Jess, Zac Ziegler, and student journalist Maggie Farmer
That the work of AZPM’s talented and passionate news team is consistently recognized on the national stage for its impact, quality, and integrity is a point of pride for AZPM’s community of supporters. Thank you for making their work possible.
A CAPITOL FOURTH airs live, July 4 at 5 p.m. on PBS 6.
AZPM celebrates America’s independence with the annual concert from the U.S. Capitol on July 4. A CAPITOL FOURTH, the nation’s premier Independence Day celebration, features all-star musical performances from top pop, rock, country and Broadway artists and stirring patriotic favorites, capped off with spectacular fireworks over our nation’s iconic skyline. For more than 40 years, this star-spangled television special has brought us together to honor our strengths, freedoms, and democratic ideals. A CAPITOL FOURTH airs live from Washington at 5 p.m. Friday, July 4 on PBS 6 with an encore presentation at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS.
Who really designed the first version of “Old Glory?” Tune in to NPR 89.1 at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 4 for a special hour-long episode of Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast as they unravel the revolutionary (pun intended) history behind America’s first flag. Learn how the real Betsy Ross was anything but a mild-mannered seamstress, and discover the work of the women behind another of America’s most famous flags: the Star-Spangled Banner.
Hear A BIG BAND FOURTH OF JULY on Jazz 89.1-HD2 at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 4. The rise of big bands in the 1930s and 40s played a key role in the popularization of jazz and provided a soundtrack for Americans navigating a challenging era of economic depression and global warfare. Celebrate America’s Independence Day with a legacy of swing featuring recordings from Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Glenn Miller, Count Baise, and other iconic American artists and ensembles. Find AZPM Jazz on your HD radio or stream it at radio.azpm.org/jazz.
RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY premieres July 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS 6. Viewer discretion is advised.
The greatest artworks in western civilization emerged from one of the bloodiest periods in history. Premiering on PBS 6 at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, a new, three-part BBC docudrama chronicles the lives, passions, and jealousies of three of the greatest artists in history – Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael. RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY explores the political and religious turmoil, war, and bloodshed that spawned the creation of the greatest works of art of all time as the three rival artists competed to craft beauty from chaos. Contemporary artists, biographers, and art historians impart vital facts about the careers, creations, and increasingly intense rivalries between the three, while the dramatization is based on Michelangelo’s own writings and inspired by contemporary accounts. Some viewers may find scenes of violence and bloodshed disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
New programs and episodes of fan favorites continue throughout the month on PBS 6 On Sunday evenings new episodes of PATIENCE and GRANTCHESTER continue at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively, followed by encore episodes of ATLANTIC CROSSING at 9 p.m. and WORLD ON FIRE at 10 p.m. The Summer of Dinosaurs continues on Wednesdays with encore broadcasts of WALKING WITH DINOSAURS at 8 p.m., followed by new episodes of HUMAN FOOTPRINT at 9 p.m., and finally NOVA at 10 p.m. News-weary viewers will find welcome relief in the comedy double features from HOLLYWOOD AT HOME, on Saturdays at 7 p.m. Revisit notable and classic films including Airplane!, Scrooged, Catch Me if You Can, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Composer George Antheil in 1927
On July 8, Classical 90.5 marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of American avant-garde composer George Antheil. Often called “The Bad Boy of Music,” Antheil’s modernist compositions explored the musical, industrial, and mechanical sounds of the early 20th century. In partnership with his neighbor, actress Hedy Lamarr, Antheil contributed to the development of “frequency hopping” as a means to protect radio-controlled torpedoes from jamming or interference. In 1942, he and Lamarr were granted a patent for a torpedo guidance system that used a mechanism similar to player piano rolls to synchronize the changes between the 88 frequencies (not coincidentally, the number of keys on a standard piano). The design was drawn from Antheil’s signature work Ballet Mécanique, which called for mechanically synchronizing sixteen player pianos, plus xylophones and percussion. Classical 90.5 will feature his works throughout the day. On July 29th, Classical 90.5 celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis with selections from his Olympic Cantata. Until his death in 2021, Theodorakis was widely viewed as Greece’s best-known living composer and known for his film scores for Zorba the Greek and Serpico, among many others.
At the end of the month, join NPR 89.1 for the riveting story of what is widely considered the worst sea disaster in U.S. naval history. In late July of 1945, after a top-secret mission to deliver the atomic bomb to Tinian Island, the USS Indianapolis was hit by two torpedoes and sunk in 12 minutes. Of the 1,195 men on board, only 316 survived. Four survivors share unforgettable and heartbreaking memories of the struggle to survive against nearly impossible odds in THE PRICE PAID FOR LIBERTY on the 80th anniversary of the disaster, July 30 at 10 a.m. on NPR 89.1. The program contains graphic descriptions of wartime bodily harm and death. Parts of this program may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.
Whether you are in Southern Arizona or enjoying the summer from a cooler climate, AZPM has what you need to stay up to date on local news and public affairs, however and whenever you get your news. Follow AZPM on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for exclusive local content. It’s all on AZPM, and it’s all because of you. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Jack Gibson
AZPM Chief Executive Officer
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