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 January 1, 2025 / Modified jan 17, 2025 11:47 a.m.

January Highlights and Happenings

Letter from the CEO
by Jack Gibson

CLICK to watch a message from Jack Gibson, or read about upcoming highlights below.

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! As we embark upon 2025, my first thoughts are those of gratitude for the support of our members, donors, viewers, and listeners, without whom public media would cease to exist. You are the reason AZPM is able to serve Southern Arizonans day in and day out with quality educational programming, community engagement events, trustworthy, in-depth news and information, and quality entertainment. Thank you!

I’m happy to report that, thanks to your continued investment, AZPM met its calendar year-end financial goal. The December fundraising campaign marks a critical midpoint in our fiscal year, and success is essential to the health of our budget and supports the operating expenses we expect as we move through the remainder of the year. Thank you for your ongoing support; we couldn’t do it without you!

Baker Center OCT24 progress The state-of-the-art Paul and Alice Baker Center for Public Media is slated for completion in Fall 2025.

2025 will be a pivotal year for AZPM as we see the completion of the state-of-the-art Paul and Alice Baker Center for Public Media next fall. Thanks to the generous support of philanthropic leaders and community members alike, AZPM is more than 90% of the way to its funding goal for the new facility. The facility is truly a community center; one funded by the community for the benefit of the community. If you have not yet made a capital campaign contribution, I hope you will consider how much you count on public media every day and give accordingly at support.azpm.org/capitalcampaign.

PBS 6 kicks off 2025 with celebrations from around the world on New Year’s Day, including LONDON’S NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE 2025 at 8:30 a.m., Great Performances FROM VIENNA: THE NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION 2025 at 8 p.m., repeating at 9:30 p.m., and BEST OF ROME NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE 2025 at 11:30 p.m.. New seasons of fan favorites will premiere throughout the month, including Season 4 of the period thriller VIENNA BLOOD on Sunday, January 5 at 9:30 p.m., and a new season of LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES starting on Tuesday, January 7 at 9 p.m. Sunday, January 12 sees the premiere of the fifth season of two beloved series from MASTERPIECE. MISS SCARLET at 7 p.m., followed by ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL at 8 p.m.

Jimmy Carter AP Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, President Jimmy Carter, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin clasp hands to symbolize their agreement after signing the Middle East Peace Treaty at the White House in Washington, March 27, 1979.
AP Photo, File
PBS 6 remembers former President Jimmy Carter, who died December 30 at age 100, with a special tribute Monday, January 6 beginning at 8 p.m. with JIMMY CARTER: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Jimmy Carter's story is one of the greatest dramas in American politics. In 1980, he was overwhelmingly voted out of office in a humiliating defeat. But over the subsequent two decades, he became one of the most admired statesmen and humanitarians in America and the world. Through interviews with the people who knew him best, JIMMY CARTER traces his rapid ascent in politics, dramatic fall from grace, and unexpected resurrection, and includes Carter family home movies and a rare film sequence of Carter's final hours in the Oval Office. At 10 p.m., IN THEIR OWN WORDS: JIMMY CARTER relates the intimate and inspiring story of a long-shot outsider who beat the odds against him again and again and never looked back in his quest to better the lives of millions. Jimmy Carter’s journey from poor, rural peanut farmer to become the 39th president of the United States is revealed to be a story of faith, determination, and humanity.

Since its debut in 1974, public television’s longest-running science series, NOVA, has illuminated the creativity, excitement, and transformative power of the scientific process. NOVA’s 52nd season starts with What are UFOs? premiering Wednesday, January 22 at 9 p.m. on PBS 6. Unidentified Flying Objects have long captivated the imagination of the public, but for decades most scientists treated the subject as taboo. Now, these mysterious phenomena are moving out of the shadows and into the light, as NASA pledges to study them scientifically. This new NOVA investigation looks at the evidence from every angle, marshaling expert opinions from physicists, engineers, cosmologists, and others who are bringing new technologies and heightened rigor to solving these mysteries.

Both NPR 89.1 and PBS 6 will carry live coverage of the presidential inauguration on January 20. PBS News Hour offers extended coverage, including pre- and post-event commentary, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., while NPR 89.1 will carry the ceremony live from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

GP New Year from Vienna 2025 "New Year’s from Vienna" from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein

To help kick off the new year, tune to Classical 90.5 at 9 a.m. on January 1 for New Year’s from Vienna from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein. It has long been the custom of the Vienna Philharmonic to present a New Year’s program consisting of the lively and nostalgic music from the vast repertoire of the family of Johann Strauss and its contemporaries. These concerts not only delight live audiences, but also enjoy great international popularity through the worldwide television broadcast, which now reaches more than 90 countries. Renowned conductor Riccardo Muti leads the orchestra in this beloved annual tradition.

AZPM exists for the community and is provided as a community service of the University of Arizona. However, without your ongoing support, the programming you rely on to keep you informed and entertained would simply not be possible. Thank you for your support in 2024, and all best wishes for health and happiness in 2025.

Sincerely,
Jack Gibson Signature
Jack Gibson
Chief Executive Officer

P.S. If you have not seen AZPM’s Fiscal Year 2024 Report to the Community, which was released digitally on December 20th, you can check it out here.

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