June 1, 2017 / Modified jun 2, 2017 9:12 a.m.

Letter from the General Manager

Arizona & The Vietnam War, PBS 6 PLUS, Connecting at the PBS Annual Meeting

Arizona and the Vietnam War hero An AZPM original production coming in September 2017.

Summer may be a slower time for some as the days grow longer and hotter, but we at Arizona Public Media are not slowing down. There is much going on this summer that I’m excited to share with you.

A decade in the making, Ken Burns’ landmark series The Vietnam War comes to PBS 6 beginning September 17th. AZPM’s special projects team has been hard at work creating a locally-focused companion documentary, Arizona & The Vietnam War, that describes through intimate and personal stories the impact of this era and its defining war on a generation of Southern Arizonans. Because so many moving stories go untold, we are inviting viewers and listeners to share their own stories. To write or record your experience, go to azpm.org/vietnam and click ‘Share a Vietnam Story’. Some submissions may be selected for inclusion online or in this or an upcoming AZPM production.  

June is LGBT Pride Month, and AZPM’s special programming includes a collection of films, series and personal stories that explore the LGBT experience in the United States and around the world. A full schedule is available on tv.azpm.org.  

Our new lifestyle channel, PBS 6 PLUS, will launch on July 1st, replacing READY/WORLD on channels 6.3 and 27.3, Comcast channel 396, and Cox channel 82. The program lineup will feature the best of public television, including audience favorites like Nature, Nova, Masterpiece, Frontline, Charlie Rose and PBS Newshour, along with local award-winning productions Arizona Illustrated, Metro Week and Arizona Week, all strategically scheduled to provide real-time viewing options. We are also planning a dedicated web presence for PBS 6 PLUS to showcase programming and digital extras to enhance viewers’ experience. More information about the new channel is now available online.  

Several members of the AZPM team and I recently attended the PBS Annual Meeting, where the theme was Voices that Inspire. We at AZPM pride ourselves on being the voice of inspiration throughout Southern Arizona. Viewers and listeners turn to AZPM to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take a front row seat to world-class drama and performances. Teachers turn to Arizona PBS LearningMedia for digital content and resources that help bring classroom lessons to life, and PBS KIDS helps children build critical literacy, math, and social-emotional skills, all provided free of charge.  

Research has once again confirmed that public media is the most respected and most trusted of all broadcast outlets. Upholding that public trust is our legacy and our solemn obligation to our viewers and listeners, who trust AZPM to provide accurate, complete, in-depth news and information, enriching educational programming, and thought-provoking entertainment each and every day. It’s not just a slogan, it’s our way of life: Trusted. Now more than ever.

Thank you for watching, for listening, and for your continued support.



Sincerely,

Jack Gibson

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