Dear Friends,
As AZPM begins the second month of its new fiscal year, I am grateful to the community supporters who contributed to AZPM’s end-of-fiscal year campaign, enabling the organization to start the new fiscal year with a realistic, albeit tight, operating budget. The programs and services that AZPM acquires from PBS, NPR, the BBC, and other sources are 100% community-funded, and are only possible with your support – thank you!
In addition to support from viewers and listeners like you, AZPM has always relied on federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in the form of an annual Community Service Grant to cover the cost of producing and broadcasting local television, radio, and podcast productions like Arizona Illustrated, The Press Room, Arizona Spotlight, and daily local newscasts. Without the CPB grant, representing an average of 11% of AZPM’s operating budget, the creation of local programs for and about Southern Arizona would not be possible.
Congress recently voted to rescind the CPB’s previously approved federal funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a move that will almost certainly compromise AZPM’s ability to sustain the production of its award-winning local content at its current level. AZPM will need the community’s support now more than ever to continue producing the original, local programming for and about the people of Southern Arizona upon which audiences have come to rely. Without an increase in our local funding, we will be forced to make difficult decisions, including staff layoffs and reducing the local news and programming you have come to expect from AZPM.
We don’t want to do that. And with your help, we won’t have to. If you haven’t already done so, please consider increasing your financial support to help sustain local journalism, educational content, and the dedicated AZPM team behind it. If you have never made a contribution, now is the time.
ATOMIC PEOPLE premieres Monday, August 4 at 10 p.m. on PBS 6.
AZPM has a great lineup of entertaining programs to keep you out of the heat throughout August. The month begins with the season finale of GRANTCHESTER (Sunday, August 3 at 8 p.m.), followed by the finale of ATLANTIC CROSSING at 9 p.m.
On Monday, August 4, join PBS 6 for a double dose of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., followed by the premiere of ATOMIC PEOPLE at 10 p.m. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9), ATOMIC PEOPLE presents interviews with some of the last living survivors of the cataclysmic events that led to Japan’s surrender and ended World War II in the Pacific. This program illustrates the raison d’être of public television: bringing history to life and presenting points of view not necessarily taught in classrooms. ATOMIC PEOPLE premieres Monday, August 4 at 10 p.m., only on PBS 6.
Continue the WWII Pacific Theater theme with an encore presentation of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC Tuesday, August 5 at 9 p.m., part of our ongoing rotation of American history programs, America at 250, airing throughout the fall on PBS 6.
For a fascinating look into the more distant past, don’t miss the finale of POMPEII: THE NEW DIG at 10 p.m. Wednesday, August 6 on PBS 6. In this final episode, HOUSE OF TREASURES archaeologists uncover art, jewelry, and evidence of sumptuous wealth along Pompeii’s most affluent thoroughfare. Luxurious residences and bustling businesses alike were buried under meters of pumice and ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. See what comes to light as the team painstakingly exposes treasures buried for centuries.
The summer television fundraising campaign kicks off August 9 on PBS 6 with a great mix of cooking, travel, history, music, and self-improvement programs, plus special behind-the-scenes looks at fan favorites. Standouts include ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: CHAPTER FIVE, which takes viewers behind the scenes with the cast and crew of the beloved MASTERPIECE series (Sunday, August 10 at 7 p.m.), a PBS-exclusive preview of Ken Burns’ THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (Tuesday, August 12 at 8 p.m.), and WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: A VIEWER’S GUIDE (Wednesday, August 13 at 8 p.m.). Find your favorite music, cooking, travel, and history specials anytime on our TV program guide.
New seasons of favorite dramas premiere on Sunday, August 24 with Season 4 of PROFESSOR T (UK) at 7 p.m., MASTERPIECE: MARLOW MURDER CLUB Season 2 at 8 p.m., and Season 6 of UNFORGOTTEN at 9 p.m. Members can catch up on Seasons 1-3 of PROFESSOR T on AZPM Passport, with Season 4 available in advance of the broadcast premiere beginning August 10. Fans of MARLOW MURDER CLUB and UNFORGOTTEN can binge the entire new seasons on AZPM Passport starting on August 24.
At its height, the British Empire ruled over one-fifth of the world’s land surface and nearly a quarter of its people. How did a tiny island off the coast of Europe claim power over so much of the world? Award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the history of the British Empire and why it is essential in the 21st century to fully understand its legacy. Don’t miss EMPIRE with David Olusoga, available to stream in August exclusively on AZPM Passport.
American Railroad: The Podcast, a limited series podcast from Silkroad and PRX
Hear the untold stories and unheard voices from the diverse communities that built America’s railway systems during Silkroad’s AMERICAN RAILROAD Monday, August 25 at 10 a.m. on NPR 89.1. Founded by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Silkroad was inspired by the historical Silk Road, a network of ancient trade routes that facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures between the East and the West, and was created as a model for cultural collaboration through music. Travel to California and Utah during this one-hour special to hear about the contributions of Japanese and Chinese railroad laborers and the special music that captures the spirit of laborers dedicated to the rail. Listen for Silkroad’s AMERICAN RAILROAD, produced in partnership with PRX and hosted by Grammy Award-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens, on Monday, August 25 at 10 a.m. on NPR 89.1.
Classical 90.5 celebrates the birthdays of an august (pun intended) set of musicians on the 15th and 18th of the month.
August 15th marks the anniversary of the birth of Italian pianist Aldo Ciccolini, a passionate champion of French composers, many of them underrepresented. In addition to recording works of giants such as Debussy, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns, he also recorded the complete works of Erik Satie not once, but twice. Hear some of his celebrated recordings throughout the day.
August 15th is also the birthday of English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (not to be confused with English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge). Of English and Sierra Leonean heritage and often called the “Black Mahler,” Coleridge-Taylor fought against racial prejudice through his late Romantic compositions, which blended European classical tradition with African and African-American musical influences.
Antonio Salieri, Italian composer and conductor (Legnago, 1750 in Vienna, 1825).On August 18th, Classical 90.5 commemorates the 275th anniversary of the birth of Italian composer Antonio Salieri. Although well-crafted and inventive, Salieri’s profound contributions to the classical music landscape were somewhat eclipsed by those of his contemporaries, Mozart and Hadyn. Salieri himself, much maligned for the last two centuries, is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, fueled by scholarly research indicating that the innuendo, rumor, and calumny that tarnished both his personal and his musical reputations were largely unfounded. Had the genius of Mozart and Haydn not upstaged him during his lifetime, would his musical legacy have earned more respect? Tune to Classical 90.5 and judge for yourself.
In these uncertain times, access to reliable, coherent, and objective news, high-quality entertainment, safe children's programming, emergency alerts, and educational resources is essential to the quality of life in Southern Arizona. This need has never been more critical. You are the public in public media, and AZPM can only flourish with your continued investment. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Jack Gibson
AZPM Chief Executive Officer
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