Dear Friends,
This month we celebrate the graduations of Southern Arizona students, Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day! As winter residents return to cooler climes and many University of Arizona students depart for the summer, traffic becomes lighter, days become longer, and AZPM has plenty on tap to keep you entertained and informed.
AZPM’s weekly radio program The Buzz is going on hiatus after May 2nd while The Press Room moves into its Friday morning time slot of 8:30 a.m. beginning May 16th. AZPM listeners can download a new episode every Friday wherever they get their podcasts, the program will continue to be simulcast on PBS 6 and NPR 89.1 Friday nights at 8:30 p.m.
MASTERPIECE: MISS AUSTEN is a new 4-part drama based on the novel by Gill Hornby and follows the story of Cassandra, Jane Austen’s lesser-known sister.
MASTERPIECE: Miss Austen takes an historic literary mystery – the burning of Jane Austen’s letters by her sister Cassandra – and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty, and heart-breaking story of sisterly love. Keeley Hawes (The Durrells in Corfu) stars as Cassandra Austen, creating a character as captivating as any Austen heroine. Based on Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel, the series brings a fresh perspective to the sisters’ lives and explores the passions that would shape Jane’s iconic novels. Miss Austen premieres Sunday, May 4 at 8 p.m. The series continues on May 11 at 8 p.m. and concludes on May 18 with the final two episodes presented back-to-back starting at 8 p.m.
From Independent Lens comes an intimate portrait of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer’s in Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s](https://playpbs.azpm.org/video/trailer-matter-of-mind-my-alzheimers-eiycel/). Premiering Monday, May 5 at 11 p.m. on PBS 6 and available on AZPM Passport that same day, the documentary examines how the progressive neurodegenerative disease transforms roles and relationships as families attempt to cope and evolve when a loved one is diagnosed.
From Executive Producer Bradley Cooper, CAREGIVING is the story of paid and unpaid caregivers navigating the challenges and joys of this deeply meaningful work.
Also new to AZPM Passport this month is Executive Producer Bradley Cooper’s collaboration with PBS on a documentary about the millions of people who provide unpaid care to family members. Caregiving will be available to AZPM members starting Tuesday, May 27, in advance of its June broadcast premiere on PBS 6. Cooper’s involvement in the project stems from personal experience: his father’s cancer diagnosis was the wake-up call that opened his eyes to the loneliness, anxiety, exhaustion, and frustration of navigating an often-mystifying medical system, in a role that many family members are thrust into without training, preparation, or support.
From remote work to online communities and from dating apps to telemedicine, technology is ever-present in modern life. What kind of impact is that having on our mental health? Join NPR 89.1 for a conversation with experts about the ever-expanding array of online options and the growing concerns about how healthy it is to spend so much time online with our devices. Listen for PROMISE AND PERIL: TECHNOLOGY AND MENTAL HEALTH, hosted by Kimberly Adams, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7.
Join Award-winning chef and best-selling author and host Pati Jinich on YouTube Live on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. as she shares her favorite moments from her new limited series, Pati Explores PanAmericana.
Award-winning chef and best-selling author Pati Jinich takes a journey inspired by the Pan-American Highway, a symbol of connection and collaboration extending from Alaska to Argentina, in a celebration of the many cultures of the Americas and how they enrich each other. Watch Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana Tuesdays through May 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS 6, or stream on the PBS App. Plus, on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. join Pati on YouTube LIVE as she talks to AZPM about her new show.
Wednesdays on PBS 6 bring us programs that challenge expectations, broaden perspectives, and open our eyes – and sometimes our hearts. Premiering May 7 at 8 p.m., NATURE: Hummingbirds of Hollywood spins a visually captivating tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in profound acts of kindness as a woman finds herself on a transformative journey nurturing wounded hummingbirds back to health.
Stay with PBS 6 May 7 and May 14 at 9 p.m. for NOVA’s Ultimate Crash Test: Countdown, a first-of-its-kind experiment to gain new insights into the behavior of cars and drivers in uncontrolled, real-world accidents. Round out Wednesdays with Bugs That Rule the World at 10 p.m., a four-part global investigation into insect declines that explores their diversity and their critical roles on the planet. Watch and you may come away with new respect for these essential yet under-appreciated creatures.
The National Memorial Day Concert on PBS has been an American tradition for more than 30 years.
The National Memorial Day Concert, an American tradition for more than 30 years, features uplifting musical performances, documentary footage, and dramatic readings. The concert, broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Watch Sunday, May 25 at 5 p.m. on PBS 6, or catch the encore presentation at 8 p.m. The concert repeats again on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Also airing in honor of Memorial Day is Miles, Morale, and Memories: Bob Hope and World War II. Hope and his troupe of performers traveled more than 80,000 miles during WWII to entertain the troops, often performing near the frontlines in Europe and the Pacific as part of an overall Hollywood effort to bring some of America to the battle zones. Using animated maps and interviews with Hollywood historians, authors, and combat veterans, this special examines Hope's impact on WWII and why President Roosevelt asked some of Hollywood's top radio and movie stars to serve their country holding a microphone instead of a gun. Miles, Morale, and Memories: Bob Hope and World War II premieres Sunday, May 25 at 7 p.m.
Classical 90.5 celebrates its 50th anniversary on May 17 with a special day of classical favorites and observes Memorial Day on Monday, May 26 with patriotic and memorial tributes to members of the armed forces, both historical and present-day. On Wednesday, May 28, Classical 90.5 celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the incomparable German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Turn to Classical 90.5 throughout the day to hear some of Fischer-Dieskau’s most memorable and lesser-heard recordings.
Finally, many of you have expressed concern about the status of federal funding AZPM receives in the form of a Community Service Grant (CSG) from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In a true public-private partnership, AZPM uses 100% of its CSG to produce locally focused, original content, including Arizona Illustrated, Arizona Spotlight, The Press Room, daily local newscasts, podcasts, and more. Private contributions from members like you are used to purchase national programs from PBS like All Creatures Great and Small and the PBS News Hour, and NPR programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, in addition to a variety of titles from other program distributors. Please visit protectmypublicmedia.org for the latest on the status of federal funding for public broadcasting and AZPM.
Thanks to you and members like you, AZPM is able to provide the very best in trusted news and information, high-quality entertainment, educational programming and resources for all ages, and on-the-job training for University of Arizona students. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Jack Gibson
AZPM Chief Executive Officer
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.