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WV
Public Broadcasting Documentary Earns Regional Emmy Nomination
Charleston, W.Va. – June 12, 2013 – The historical documentary Frank Kearns: American
Correspondent, which
premiered on West Virginia PBS last fall, has been nominated for a regional
Emmy Award in the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences. The film is one of four nominees in the “Documentary –
Historical” category.
Winners will be announced July 20 in Cincinnati.West
Virginia Public Broadcasting won a Regional Emmy in 2011 for its documentary Last Chapter: End of Life Decisions
produced by Suzanne Higgins.
Frank Kearns:
American Correspondent is a profile
of a native West Virginian who was a pioneer broadcast reporter for CBS and
later a journalism professor at West Virginia University. The documentary is co-produced,
written and directed byJake Davis, executive producer at Greenbriar Group Films
in Columbia, S.C. and former student of Kearns; and West Virginia Public
Broadcasting’s award-winning producer and videographer Chip Hitchcock whose
works include West Virginia: The Road to
Statehood, Bridgeport to Baghdad and
The Last Mission: Establishing the Rule of Law in Iraq.
View a trailer of the documentary on the West
Virginia Public Broadcasting YouTube channel.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting nurtures personal growth,
promotes civic responsibility and inspires lifelong discovery through
high-quality programming and services. West Virginia Public Radio, West
Virginia PBS, wvpubcast.org and Ready
To Learn® are all services of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Shawn Patterson
(304) 556-4908
Documentaries
shine
Celebrate
West Virginia’s 150th Birthday with hours of state-related programs
Broadcast Date(s):
Check your local listings for these public television and public radio programs
all month long on West Virginia Public Radio, WV PBS and WV PBS.2
Charleston, W.Va. – June 10, 2013 – As West Virginia celebrates
its 150th birthday, West Virginia Public Broadcasting is adding to
the festivities by airing more than two dozen television documentaries about
the state and its history; plus a special one-hour radio documentary.
“We felt it was important for West Virginia Public Broadcasting to
participate in telling the State’s story,” said Scott Finn, executive director.
“This is what we are known for and we are proud to include our own productions
plus films from independent producers that can’t be seen (or heard) anywhere
else.
"We hope our
viewers and listeners enjoy the variety of stories presented this month and the
diversity of perspectives the producers bring to our audiences."
On West Virginia Public Radio
·
Thursday, June 20 at 9 p.m. -- West Virginia 150: Commemorating
Statehood -- a one
hour documentary that explores how the state’s history and other
characteristics shape today’s West Virginians and tries to answer the question
“what does it mean to be a West Virginian?” Produced by Cecelia Mason,
Shepherdstown Bureau Chief for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
On WV PBS
·
Monday-Wednesday,
June 17-19 at 9 pm. -- West Virginia: A
Film History -- looks at many noted individuals who made contributions to
the history of the state including Robert C. Byrd, Henry Louis Gates, Leon
Sullivan and Jerry West. (Repeats Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 24 at 2:30 p.m.)
·
Tuesday,
June 18 at 9:30 p.m. -- The Great
Kanawha: An American Story, a documentary that traces the early history,
European settlement and the beginning of the industrialization along the river.
Produced by West Virginia
Documentary Consortium, Inc.
·
Wednesday,
June 19 at 9:30 p.m. -- Winding Gulf: Stories from West Virginia’s
Coalfields -- examines the impact of industry upon a particular place and
the people who live, work, and die there. Produced by West Virginia Public
Broadcasting’s Russ Barbour and Jessica Lilly.
·
Thursday,
June 20 at 8 p.m. – the
broadcast premiere of West Virginia: The
Road to Statehood. Through interviews with respected state historians,
dramatizations, archival letters, sketches and photographs, the film examines
events and philosophies behind West Virginia statehood. Produced by Chip
Hitchcock and Russ Barbour from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
9 p.m. --
State Born from a Nation Torn
produced by Clarksburg native Lemeul Muniz.
10 p.m. -- A Moving Monument: The West Virginia State Capitol
an award-winning documentary from MotionMasters tracing the fascinating
story of the Mountain State’s seat of government.
·
Sunday,
June 23
7 p.m. -- 3 Rivers: The Bluestone, Gauley and the New
(Russ Barbour)
9 p.m. -- Obscurely Famous Graves – visit the
graves and find out more about some of the state’s “forgotten” luminaries.
Produced by Jack Crutchfield.
·
Wednesday, June 26 at 8:30 p.m. -- Secrets of the Valley: Prehistory of the Kanawha -- West Virginia
State University film professor Daniel
Boyd collaborated with U.S Army Corps of Engineers archeologist Robert
Maslowski to tell the story of the Kanawha Valley’s prehistory.
·
Sunday June 30 at 8 p.m. -- East
Wind, West Wind: Pearl Buck, The Woman Who Embraced the World. The film
follows the extraordinary life of a missionary child, born in West Virginia at
the end of the 19th century and raised in rural China, who became
one of the best known American writers and received the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1938. Produced by Craig Davidson.
On WV PBS.2 (where
available)
·
Wednesdays, June 12, 19 and 26 at 7 p.m. -- Road Trip to History – a series of spellbinding journeys through
the communities, history, and events that shaped the heartland of the
Shenandoah Valley from Oak Tree
Productions.
·
Tuesday, June 11 at 8 p.m. -- The
Appalachians, a three-part documentary by Braxton County native Mary-Lynn
Evans.
·
Wednesday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. – The Vandalia Gathering -- a documentary about the annual bluegrass
music festival in Charleston by West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s John
Nakashima.
·
Wednesday, June 15
7 p.m. -- Ken
Hechler: In Pursuit of Justice (Russ Barbour)
9 p.m. -- Robert C, Byrd: Soul of the Senate (MotionMasters)
·
Sunday, June 16
8 p.m. -- Crossings:
Bridge Building in West Virginia (West Virginia
Department of Transportation)
9 p.m. -- Road to Opportunity: The WV Turnpike 50th
Anniversary (West
Virginia Department of Transportation)
10 p.m. – A Brief History of The Greenbrier, the
story of the resort by Erik Hastings and Bob Conte for the resort.
·
Monday, June 17
8 p.m. -- Mills of
Pendleton County -- More than 40 water-driven mills existed at one time in
remote Pendleton County. Directed by Gerald Milnes for the Fort
Seybert Heritage Educational Association
9 p.m. -- The Resilient Forest -- documents the
settlement, early history, industrialization, folk life, recreation,
conservation and forestry practices that formed the cultural identity of
residents of the Appalachian Forest Heritage area. Produced by the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area.
10 p.m. -- Helvetia,
the community of Swiss immigrants that settled in Upshur County from West
Virginia Public Broadcasting.
·
Tuesday, June 18 at 10 p.m. -- A Principled Man: Rev. Leon Sullivan -- meet the man who would
mentor Martin Luther King, Jr., help free Nelson Mandela, play a significant
role in ending apartheid in South Africa and create the Opportunities
Industrialization Center (OIC). (MotionMasters)
·
Wednesday, June 19
8:30 p.m. – Clifftop
-- a documentary look at the
Appalachian String Band Music Festival from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
10 p.m. -- Passing
Through Sandstone -- the history of a small town on the banks of the New
River by Jon Averill.
·
Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m. -- Whiz Kids: The Movie. At a
time when American teens lag far behind other countries in math and science,
this is a coming-of-age documentary that tells the story of three remarkably
different, yet equally passionate 17-year-old scientists who vie to compete in
the nation’s oldest, most prestigious science competition. The young girl hails
from Parkersburg where her project discovered C8 in the local water supply.
(Sandbar Pictures)
·
Friday, June 21 at 8 p.m. -- Best
of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. (West Virginia Public
Broadcasting)
·
Saturday, June 22
7 p.m. -- A Living
Monument: The West Virginia County Courthouses (MotionMasters)
8 p.m. -- A Moving
Monument: The West Virginia State Capitol (MotionMasters)
9 p.m. -- Foundation
of Justice: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (MotionMasters)
9:30 p.m. The Griffin
and the Minor Canon, an animated production of Frank Stockton’s short story
featuring the voice of West Virginia native and actor David Selby.
·
Sunday June 23 at 10 p.m. -- Welcome
to Coalwood, a documentary film about the hometown of Homer Hickam and the
Rocket Boys who were featured in the 1999 film, “October Sky.” By See to Sea Productions.
·
Tuesday, June 25
8 p.m. -- American
Experience: John D. Rockefeller (PBS)
10 p.m. -- Reconstructing
Bill: The Story of Gov. William C. Marland -- Marland was considered one of
West Virginia’s most intelligent and visionary chief executives, but was
discovered driving a cab as part of his self-made rehabilitation program from
alcoholism. (Russ Barbour)
West Virginia Public Broadcasting nurtures personal growth,
promotes civic responsibility and inspires lifelong discovery through
high-quality programming and services. West Virginia Public Radio, West
Virginia PBS, wvpubcast.org and Ready
To Learn® are all services of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Shawn Patterson (304) 556-4908
Community
invited to meet new leader of West Virginia Public Broadcasting
plus
a sneak peak of new documentary
Charleston, W.Va. – June
7, 2013 – The executive director of West Virginia
Public Broadcasting is traveling the state to meet viewers and listeners of the
statewide public broadcasting network. Meet Scott Finn on Friday, June 14 at the Culture Center from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Then stay for a special preview of the documentary West Virginia: The Road to Statehood, produced by West Virginia
Public Broadcasting in commemoration of the state’s 150th birthday,
at 7 p.m.
This event is part of
the statewide “Let’s Talk” gatherings hosted by the Friends of West Virginia
Public Broadcasting.
“Our job is to tell West
Virginia’s story,” Finn said. “But it’s been a while since the executive
director reached out to meet the people who make our educational programming possible.
“West Virginia Public
Broadcasting is owned by the people of this state,” he said. “It’s time to ask
them what we’re doing well, and what we need to do better.”
“Let’s Talk” is open and free to the
public. It’s a chance to meet Finn and other leaders at West Virginia Public
Broadcasting, as well as members of the Friends of West Virginia Public
Broadcasting in your community.
After the gathering, West Virginia
Public Broadcasting will debut its latest documentary West Virginia: The Road to Statehood, which brings to life the
issues, differences and disagreements that created what is now West Virginia.
Through interviews with respected state historians, dramatizations, archival
letters, sketches and photographs the 40-minute film examines events and philosophies
behind West Virginia becoming a state during the Civil War, particularly
through the lives of attorney Francis Pierpont (for creating a new state) and
former U.S. Congressman Albert Gallatin Jenkins (for preserving the
Commonwealth).
One or more of the producers will
also be on hand for a Q&A with the audience.
The broadcast premiere of the
documentary is Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m. on WV PBS.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting nurtures personal growth,
promotes civic responsibility and inspires lifelong discovery through
high-quality programming and services. West Virginia Public Radio, West
Virginia PBS, wvpubcast.org and Ready To Learn® are all
services of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Shawn Patterson (304) 556-4908
New documentary marks sesquicentennial
West
Virginia: The Road to Statehood previews in Wheeling and Charleston
Broadcast date(s):.Premiere broadcast on
WV PBS Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m.
Preview
events on Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. in Charleston
and
Wednesday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Wheeling
Charleston, W.Va. – June 3, 2013--“Now, after many long and weary
years … we have the profound satisfaction of proclaiming to those around us
that we are a separate state in the Union.” -- Arthur Boreman, first governor
of West Virginia commemorating the birth of the 35th state, in his inaugural
address on June 20, 1863.
Thus ends the new documentary West Virginia: The Road to Statehood which brings to life the
issues, differences and disagreements that divided the Commonwealth of
Virginia, turning families and neighbors against one another throughout what is
now West Virginia. Through interviews with respected state
historians,
dramatizations, archival letters, sketches and photographs
the 40-minute film
examines events and philosophies behind West Virginia becoming a state during
the Civil War, particularly through the lives of attorney Francis Pierpont (considered the “father of West Virginia”) and former U.S. Congressman Albert Gallatin Jenkins(who defended “Old Virginia”).
The
film’s broadcast debut on West Virginia PBS is Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m.
Two
preview showings of the film are also scheduled in both the cities that have
had the honor of being the state’s capital.
The
first will be Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston. The second will be Wednesday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Independence Hall in Wheeling. Admission to both previews is free. Seating is
limited to the capacity of each theater. One or more of the film’s producers
will be available at each showing for audience discussion.
“We
are proud to present this documentary as a complement to the state’s 150th
birthday celebrations,” said Scott Finn, executive director of West Virginia
Public Broadcasting. “The personalized perspective of this film will draw
viewers in to the drama of the politics as contrasted by the violence of the
war.”
Even
while Pierpont, Jenkins and others met in Wheeling to debate “dismemberment,”
their homes and counties were switching hands or under attack by Union or
Confederate armies. Guerillas and bushwhackers made travel dangerous or
impossible, women tried to keep their families safe and fed because most of the
men were off at war, and slaves decided whether to risk running for freedom or
staying to defend their families. Co-producer
Russ Barbour says, “I liken the program to a courtroom drama with a war going
on just beyond the doors.”
Chip Hitchcock, also co-producer, adds “We were
very fortunate to tape re-enactors in the beautifully restored Custom House in
Wheeling, where delegates from all over the state met 150 years ago to debate
and create our state. We also taped
Civil War re-enactors in downtown Beverly, West Virginia, which is a rare
modern event but similar to a lot of what happened during the war.”
In
addition to the previews and the broadcast, a complimentary DVD of the
documentary, along with a curriculum-related education guide, will be given to
each school in the state during the 2013-2014 term.
West Virginia: The Road to Statehood
was produced with assistance from
the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and WVU Libraries. Barbour
and Hitchcock interviewed a dozen prominent West Virginia historians, including
Joe Geiger, West Virginia State Historian and Archivist, and John Alexander
Williams, author of three books on West Virginia’s history.
Hitchcock’s producer credits include Bridgeport to Baghdad and The Last Mission: Establishing the Rule of
Law in Iraq. Barbour’s credits include Reconstructing Bill: The Story of
Governor William C. Marland and Three Rivers: The Bluestone, Gauley and New.
Together Hitchcock and Barbour produced Ken
Hechler: In Pursuit of Justice.
Click picture for larger image.
About West Virginia Public Broadcasting
West Virginia Public Broadcasting nurtures personal growth, promotes civic responsibility and inspires lifelong discovery through high-quality programming and services. West Virginia Public Radio, West Virginia PBS, wvpubcast.org and Ready To Learn® are all services of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
The Friends of West Virginia Public Broadcasting is a 501(c)3 organization responsible for receiving donated funds from individuals for annual membership to West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Friends serve as ambassadors in their communities on behalf of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
All of the licenses for West
Virginia Public Broadcasting are held by the West Virginia Educational
Broadcasting Authority, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education
and the Arts, Kay Goodwin, Secretary.