In my role as President of Thirteen, I’m always coming across a wide array of talented artists, musicians, and writers. And I like to think that this station not only showcases the most esteemed people working in their field, but also helps foster new, upcoming talent.

Which is why I’m so excited about this new musical group that we’re hosting next Thursday. They’re called The Police, and I’ve got to tell you: I see a big future for these kids. I’ve even heard a couple of their songs and I wouldn’t be surprised if pretty soon everyone is talking about this hot new group.

You may have heard that Andy, Stewart and Sting (yup, that’s what he’s called) will be at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, and that you can get tickets by making a donation to Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 (http://www.publictelevisionrocks.org/). But what you may not know is that you can get in on the ground floor with this band and own a piece of history. The Police are auctioning off their signature instruments to benefit our stations. Own Sting’s bass guitar or microphone, Andy’s telecaster, or Stewart’s drums! How will these musicians carry on when they give up their instruments? Well… that’s just how much they love public television!

The auction runs on eBay from August 4th to 14th. Just click on this link (http://www.ebay.com/publictelevisionrocks) and let the bidding begin!

If my instincts are right, I think that these guys are destined for great things.