What do you think of Mayor Bloomberg’s victory? Are three terms too much? Please post your comments below.

Got a question for the governor? Submit your question to Gov. Paterson in our comments section below — it may be asked in Thursday’s town-hall meeting.

Submission deadline: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m.

Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET.ORG, and Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS

“It does feel like coming back home,” Kerger said, recalling the many “meetings and important discussion that had been held this room.”

While the surroundings seemed familiar, however, Kerger quickly acknowledged how much has changed in the media in the few years since she left New York. Today, if viewers don’t catch a PBS program during its television broadcast, she remarked, “they might catch it on one of our multicast channels, or on demand. Or they might go on their laptop to watch it. Or they might watch it on their iPhone. Or on YouTube.”

Kerger noted that the online space is creating new opportunities for expanding public television audiences. “The exciting thing about the online experience is that it’s a very different audience. Forty-eight percent of the viewers watching PBS content online are under 35. And that’s not including kids.”

It comes as little surprise that kids are also connecting with public television via the Web. One real point of pride for Kerger is the traffic that the websites PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go have been attracting. So many kids are visiting – and sticking around for so long – that PBS sometimes worries their servers will crash. “It’s a good problem to have,” she said. “We’re just watching the numbers go through the roof.”

Neal Shapiro addresses the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Friends of THIRTEEN.

As she spoke about the success of the recent Ken Burns series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea – which garnered stellar audiences nationwide – Kerger also took a moment to dialogue with Dan Allen of the Friends of THIRTEEN and special guest Daniel Cowen, a student at Hunter College. Allen and Cowen are the team responsible for developing the WNET local companion program National Parks: New Yorkers’ Memories. Allen writes about the experience in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

In looking toward the future, Kerger acknowledged that many difficult funding challenges face America’s public television providers today. But her enthusiasm for the promise of public media – especially in this area of technological change – never failed to come through. “How can we use this online space to reach younger, more diverse audiences? How can we use the online space to begin to experiment with programming that may not find a home on public broadcasting’s national schedule just yet? How can we look at the online space as a way to bring new voices in? I think it’s just really an exciting time.”

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous song was written and performed during their “Bed-In” in a hotel room in Montreal in June of ‘69. But it didn’t become a true anti-war anthem until Pete Seeger led nearly a quarter of a million people to sing the song during the largest anti-Vietnam war protest in America in November of that year in Washington, D.C.

This is just one example of the power that music, and the artists that create it, can have to change the world. And it’s the message of How The Beatles Rocked the Kremlin, a documentary coming to THIRTEEN on November 9th. The film tells the surprising story about how The Beatles and their music instilled rebelliousness in Eastern Bloc youth, ultimately bringing down the Soviet Union.

To celebrate music as a force for social change, THIRTEEN is asking viewers to go online – www.thirteen.org/beatles — to nominate bands or musicians that have changed the world. We’ve received almost 1,000 nominations so far. Here’s just a few of the more insightful and fascinating nominations we’ve received, from the obvious to the obscure:

Pete Seeger: His beautiful, straight-forward songs have inspired several generations of socially aware listeners. His music has awakened many sleepers. - Lotte Lachmann

Plastic People of the Universe: The arrest of this Czechoslovakian avant-garde rock band and fans in ‘79 lead Vaclav Havel and others to write a charter accusing the Communist government of violating human rights. The Plastic People’s simple stance of freedom – they were not political, they just wanted to play music and be left alone – united the people, bringing down the whole totalitarian house of cards. By the time The Rolling Stones played Prague in 1990, it was a whole new world. — Elizabeth Dwyer

Bob Dylan: I can’t think of any artist who has inspired more change in
civil rights, politics, & the anti-war movement. Because he brought so many young people into the arenas, he influenced the future: as his young audience became active & remained active as they matured into influential people themselves. His songs of protest were calls to right the wrongs in society, not to break society down. — Joan Adams

Bob Marley: Marley was a musical shaman. In the context of 3rd-world political corruption and economic and social oppression, Marley stood tall serving as the voice of the global masses, the downtrodden, and the hopeful. No other artist has been more influential and inspiring than Marley throughout the globe. No other artist has woven music, politics, religion, spirituality, economics, indigenous and pop culture together as Marley had. — Joshua Lachs

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: He’s lasted longer than any of these dudes. — Robin Dobson

So if you haven’t already, go to www.thirteen.org/beatles to make your nomination. Tell us – what band or musician do you think has rocked the world?

Ben Smith
Director, Online Fundraising & Promotion
WNET.ORG

Allan Miller has produced and directed over 35 films and television programs around the world, documenting some of the most important musical events of the last two decades. He has won 2 Academy Awards: best Feature Length Documentary for his 1979 film “FROM MAO TO MOZART - Isaac Stern in China,” and in 1975 for “THE BOLERO,” best short feature, with Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “SMALL WONDERS,” the story of a violin program in the public schools of East Harlem, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996. His newest film, YOU CANNOT START WITHOUT ME – Valery Gergiev – Maestro, a co-production of Thirteen in association with White Nights Foundation of America and WNET.ORG premieres at Symphony Space on November 2nd thru Nov 7th 2009 with Sunday screenings on Nov 8th, 15th and 22nd. The film is an intimate portrait of Russian dynamo Valery Gergiev, one of the leading conductors of our time. The film moves between rehearsal and performance sequences in major capitals around the world, and provides a glimpse of Gergiev’s demanding life as administrator of the enormous Mariinsky theater in St. Petersburg.

Watch a preview now:

Allan Miller answers some questions about the film:

Q. What is the genesis of the film?

A. Most of us think of a conductor as a flamboyant personality or tyrant. I wanted to show the public the rare skills and talents as well as the commanding personality required of a conductor.

Q. Of all the conductors to choose from, what made you choose Valery Gergiev?

A. He impressed me for many years as one who possessed all those qualities to an extraordinary degree, while combining them with a fierce dedication to his art and to the culture of his country.

Q. Why did you focus on three rehearsals Gergiev conducted with the London Symphony Orchestra for Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”?

A. Showing those rehearsals and the concert allowed us to follow the process beginning with Gergiev’s first time he faced the orchestra, through the gradually more intense preparation, culminating in the public performance.

Q. As a conductor yourself, and having filmed many musicians over the decades, did you learn anything surprising about Gergiev?

A. I suppose I could understand what Gergiev was trying to do, based on my experience, but my conducting skills were at such a moderate level that I was continually amazed at Gergiev’s unsurpassed ability and intensity.

Q. What challenges did you face filming in Russia?

A. Very few – we had great local production people on the ground and some of the crews we brought knew Russian. Then, remember that if Gergiev wanted something done, or granted us permission to do what we needed to do, no one would tell us no. One of the great privileges of making this film was Gergiev’s trust in us, especially in producer Margaret Smilow and in his manager, Doug Sheldon.

Q. What is the state of classical music today?

A. Classical music is flourishing everywhere, except where it should the most – with young people. It is no longer a given part of growing up – in Europe as well as in America. The few concerts for young people or school visits by musicians are not regularly offered. And most sadly, they do not begin with or lead to regular study of an instrument, or singing in a chorus. The little concert music that young people become acquainted with is not reinforced and cannot compete with the other musical claims on every young persons digitized mind.

Q. What would you like the audience to take away from this film?

A. The knowledge that the audience appreciates what a great conductor has to offer and something of the reasons for his great achievement, but most especially an awakened, if not reinforced love for his music.

In the latest installment of New York on the Clock, Carlos Sarabia starts work when most people are asleep. He drives to Long Island City to pick up his breakfast cart and sets it up down the block from Thirteen’s offices. Among his faithful customers is Daniel Greenberg, executive producer of New York on the Clock, who realized the crucial but often unnoticed role coffee plays in the city. After talking with Carlos and hearing about his long hours and his efforts to raise his son, who is headed into the U.S. Air Force, Daniel suggested the New York on the Clock team go out and conduct an interview.

Thirteen.org: How long have you been going to Carlos?

Daniel Greenberg: I’ve been getting coffee every work day from Carlos for nearly four years.

Thirteen.org: What do you order from him?

DG: I start every morning with a large coffee, “light and sweet.” I can’t resist his pastries; they’re all delicious, and I have a sweet tooth. On Mondays I order a chocolate glazed doughnut. On Tuesdays I order a chocolate chip muffin. On Wednesdays I order a bear claw. On Thursdays, a French cruller and on Fridays, a blueberry muffin. Occasionally I order egg and cheese on a roll when I want something healthier…lol!

Thirteen.org: Why is Carlos important to New York City?

DG: Coffee is integral to the daily life of practically every New Yorker. Without coffee, the subways wouldn’t run, teachers would fall asleep in class, cops wouldn’t catch robbers, dogs wouldn’t chase squirrels - the city would grind to a halt. Coffee’s what makes the city run on time. Carlos supplies the fuel.

Thirteen.org: Why did you choose Carlos as a subject for New York on the Clock?

DG: After going to him every morning for 4 years, Carlos is, as they say in Spanish, “mi hermano” - like a brother. He and I talk everyday, about our families, our work, everything. Choosing to film Carlos was insprired by a conversation about his workday. I was blown away by his dedication to his business and to his family - he wakes up every morning at 1:30 am and doesn’t get home until 3pm - I have a lot of respect for Carlos.

Thirteen.org: What’s in store for upcoming New York on the Clock episodes?

DG: We have so many great and diverse New York characters coming up. We’re very excited about all of our profiles, including a hairdresser in Brooklyn, a street artist in Greenwich Village, and a tech-savvy mohel.

Season premieres Tuesday, October 13 at 9pm on THIRTEEN

FRONTLINE examines U.S. counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan — a fight that promises to be longer and more costly than most Americans understand — through interviews with top commanders on the ground, embeds with U.S. forces and fresh reporting from Washington.

Watch a 24-minute rough cut of the first act of FRONTLINE’s season premiere,
“Obama’s War.”

Q. Many of the crafts that you explore – pottery, beadworking, blacksmithing – are rooted in hundreds of years of American history. What are some ways that these craft traditions are passed down from generation to generation?

As potter Mark Hewitt says in the “Origins” episode of the new Craft in America series, the best way to pass craft traditions down is through family. He is referring to Jugtown Pottery on Seagrove, North Carolina, where Travis Owens, a fourth generation potter receives information from his father. Through working with his parents and being surrounded with early North Carolina pots, Travis will learn methods of making pots and firing the kiln that are the product of generations of experimentation and knowledge.

This method of passing down information exists in many craft practices, from bead working to quilt making to woodworking.

Q. You do you own craft, in a way, by creating the “Craft in America” series; but is there a craft you’ve come across during your production work that you wished you could do?

After producing two seasons of Craft in America, I know that filmmaking is definitely a craft and I have enjoyed learning it. Filmmaking reminds me of craft production because several people – the producer, director, director of photography, assistant cameraman, sound recordist, gaffer, grip, and editor - collaborate on a film, each bringing skills and artistry to the project. The collaboration and dedication to the final product are reminiscent of the processes craft workshops have used for thousands of years.

I have made pottery since 1969, when I learned to throw on the wheel and fell in love with clay. However, producing the Craft in America series has brought me into the studios of many artists working in the other craft mediums of wood, glass, metal and fiber. I have felt a strong attraction to weaving after visiting the studio of Jim Bassler, who is featured in the “Origins” episode. Jim pares weaving down to its most simple form. I would love to learn discontinuous weave, the technique he is now using, which, as he says, only requires two sticks and thread. It is quite different from the complicated, and I think, difficult process of setting up a loom. If I could learn to weave, I would also want to learn wedge weave, anther technique Jim uses that allows for diagonal weaving. Jim learned this technique from studying Navajo rugs.

Q. We live in an age where most of the everyday objects around us are produced quickly and cheaply. Do you think that the traditional ways of handmade crafting are in danger of dying out?

“Kiowa Princess Beaded Shoes” by Teri Greeves

The first and most important reason is the universal urge to create that seems stronger than ever in this time of political and financial uncertainty. People, and especially young people, are turning to handwork for emotional and economic reasons.

Making something by hand gives one a sense of accomplishment and individuality that buying something does not. As Scott, the violin maker in the “Process” episode says, it is amazing to start with a piece of wood and end up with a violin.

In this time of disconnection with the sources of the objects we use, it is wonderful to make something by hand and incorporate that personal expression into our lives.

Q. So what inspires people in this day and age to pursue a career in craft? Is there a particularly inspiring story from your series that comes to mind?

There are several factors that inspire people to pursue a career in the crafts. A person who decides to work with their hands has the satisfaction of being able to express their creativity in a life that offers independence. In the “Process” episode of the new Craft in America series, Miguel Gomez Ibanez at the North Bennet Street School says it is quite different to finish a workday having made something as opposed to finishing the day having returned any number of phone calls.

Craft objects, the physical manifestations of the artist’s creativity, stand as a positive force that enriches the lives of the people who acquire them. If the objects are functional, the owners interact with them in a way that changes and humanizes their lives. The sense of touch is important to both the maker and the user of these objects. Touch is the one of our seven senses that is all but missing from contemporary experience.

Additionally, artists making craft objects are a part of the continuum that started with the first humans who learned to use tools to make things to improve their daily lives. This continuum, which is present in the pots, quilts, glass vessels, jewelry, ironwork, furniture, books and clothing being produced by craft artists today, is a vital part of who we are as a culture. In addition, the traditions of ornamentation and embellishment that accompanied the earliest crafts also exist today in objects that may not have a functional purpose but are created to inspire or satisfy emotional needs.

Eudorah Moore, who was instrumental in presenting the crafts in California in the last decades of the 20th century, commissioned a book entitled Craftsman’s Lifestyle: The Gentle Revolution. The last thing I’d like to mention is the importance of the lifestyle that accompanies a career in the crafts. Independence and an environment filled with beauty are essential elements of the craft artist’s world. The relationships a craft artist has with friends and family are the cornerstones of a community that thrives on creativity and independence. That means a lot nowadays.

Watch National Parks: New Yorkers’ Memories

In 2007, as an intern for Friends of Thirteen, I was the first line of defense in screening the 1,500+ user generated war stories for our producer to use in a local companion to Ken Burns’ The War . From that experience I learned the ropes of “localizing” a national program and the potential for such projects to engage new communities.

So when WNET.ORG President Neal Shapiro asked Friends of Thirteen to help recruit college students to help produce a local program related to Burns’ latest, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, the answer was a resounding yes!

Film student Daniel Cowen hangs around on location in a Brooklyn rock climbing gym.

Daniel introduced me to Andres F. Otero from Hunter College, an accomplished documentarian who has free-lanced for the NY Daily News and NY Post, and Davi Santos, another MHC Scholar who hosts a TV program at Lehman College in the Bronx.

At our first pre-production meeting with producer Cyndee Readdean and project researcher Michael Skocay, the students were charged with creating a pilot video that would illustrate how each National Parks interview would flow.

Without delay, Daniel and I shot and edited an interview with Justin Yu, an editor for CNET.com, who had recently returned from a harrowing ascent of Yosemite’s Half-Dome mountain with eight of his close friends.

With the Justin interview in the can, we got the green light. The next month was a blur of thirteen hour days, circuitous trips around the city in my gold Hyundai Elantra and gallons of hot black coffee.

We made arrangements to use the black box theater space at the Macaulay Honors College building on West 67th Street to conduct the bulk of our interviews. Andres shot an on-location interview with National Resources Defense Council President Francis Beinecke and THIRTEEN hired a professional crew to shoot Neal Shapiro’s interview with David Rockefeller, Jr.

Finding interview subjects was not a great challenge because we had a treasury of wonderful stories that folks submitted to our website. We also had pure luck. Our intern Charmaine Charmant contacted Kadafi Marouf and Vivienne Lu, a French couple who told us about their incredible encounters with wildlife, through Facebook. With hours of HD footage and high-resolution images of their trips to over a dozen National Parks, they were an editor’s dream.

As we moved the project into post-production with our editors, Daniel Cowen contributed another of his talents to the project. He composed and recorded several original melodies in his dorm room that we used throughout the final piece.

Before our big premiere, we did our best to generate buzz about the project. We distributed a press release on the CUNY Newswire, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, one of our local media partners, published an ad to encourage tune-in and I made a guest appearance on Justin Yu’s The 404 podcast.

Thanks to the teamwork within the station and with college students, I am proud to have worked on this project as the community engagement coordinator for Friends of Thirteen.

For the students I think it was an invaluable learning experience in public media. I believe I speak on behalf of the station when I say that WNET.ORG looks forward to future collaborations with the next generation of New York’s film and television producers.

What’s the #1 issue in New Jersey’s race for Governor?

On October 6 at 10 p.m. TUNE in for On the Line: Decision 2009. Emmy Award-winning anchor Steve Adubato will be joined by Governor Jon Corzine, Republican candidate Chris Christie and Independent candidate Chris Daggett. Broadcast LIVE on THIRTEEN, NJN Public Television , WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM and on the web at NJ.com and NJN.net.

Submit your question for the candidates below.

Former WNET President Bill Baker surveys the many threats to trustworthy news, and examines how print news is adapting to new technologies and a tough economic environment.

For further reading on this topic, see Bill Baker’s article “How to Save the News” in this week’s edition of The Nation.

In the latest installment of New York on the Clock, Chris Baker pilots tugboats for Staten Island-based McAllister Towing, one of New York City’s two towing outfits. Back in May, New York on the Clock producer Daniel Ross joined Captain Baker as vessels from the United States and Canadian Navies called to port for Fleet Week 2009. Captain Baker’s tug, the Rosemary Ellis, helped dock the U.S.S. Iwo Jima, an 844-ft Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and the U.S.S. Roosevelt, a 500-ft Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

Q. In the film, there are scenes that take place from sunrise to sunset … so how long were you on the boat?

We met the McAllister crew at their headquarters on Staten Island around 3 in the morning. An hour later we motored out into the harbor to meet inbound ships. We stayed on the boat the rest of the day, and called back to headquarters around 7pm.

Q. How busy is Captain Baker’s workday? Were there long periods of just sitting there, waiting for boats to dock?

Captain Baker was asleep when we boarded the Rosemary McAllister. His first mate piloted the boat until about sunrise, at which point Captain Baker took over. He remained in command throughout the day.

Q. What kind of ships does Captain Baker dock? How long does it take to dock a ship?

The range of ships that Captain Baker docks varies. Like he says in the video, he never really knows from day to day. He gets a call and goes out to meet the ship. His ship, the Rosemary McAllister, was like the top of the line boat, so he can really tow almost anything. Of course, the really big ships require more than one tug to guide them to port.

Q. Was it very difficult filming on the water? What kind of challenges did you face?

It wasn’t difficult filming on the water. The tugboat was large enough that it didn’t pitch much. Nothing like trying to film from a dinghy like we did for The City Concealed: North Brother Island. In hindsight, I think the biggest challenge — or maybe oversight on our part — was getting a variety of sounds. The engines on the boat are extremely powerful and extremely loud, so throughout the piece you get a constant drone that doesn’t offer much in the way of dynamic audio.

Watch Captain Chris Baker and more original films about the people that make New York tick at New York on the Clock.

Q: Did you know Tito Puente personally? How did you get involved in doing this film?

Tito was an acquaintance, though I did not know him well, and he was familiar with my work as a producer and director. Over a period of time, others had asked to do a biographic film and he always refused. Eventually, through a mutual friend, he let it be known that he would do one with me.

Q: So what was Tito Puente like off the stage? What kind of access did you have to him?

For Tito, being off-stage was very much an extension of being on-stage.
He was lots of fun and at the same time a real leader. He was a member of the community, who cared very much about his family and where he came from. He was an ordinary guy: He didn’t project “star” or was a prima donna, and he didn’t expect or ask people to treat him like one. He was very cooperative. We had complete access. Tito made himself available before, after and during performances.

Q: Tito Puente and his music is beloved all over the world – was there a lot of pressure in how you approached the film?

I don’t think there was any pressure except what was self-imposed to get the story right and give the music the respect that it deserved.

Q: Tito Puente passed away in 2000 while you were making the film; what challenges did you face as you finished the film without him?

Originally, we had planned to travel with him to Europe later that year and to record much more footage. We had no idea that the interview that we did with him in San Juan and the performance recorded that evening would be his last. When Tito died a few weeks later, we had to think quickly and change the scope of the project. Fortunately, so many celebrities who knew and admired Tito, as well as his family members, were willing to step up and be interviewed. In the wake of his loss, everyone felt such a tribute was important, and we were able to get the documentary done fairly quickly.

Q. This is the seventh time that “American Masters” has won the Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series, a record for any PBS series … How do you feel? Where are you going to put the statue?

It feels gratifying to be honored so many times by one’s peers. This is our 7th win for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series in the last 10 years, but prior to submitting for the series, we used to submit individual show for Non-Fiction Special, for which we were also nominated almost every year since the series’ inception. We also won many times, although I can’t remember the exact number of wins. I believe this speaks completely to the quality of our films, as well as the fact that our subject matter has always stood out from the majority of television fare. So, our Prime Time Emmy history has been truly unprecedented, at least in terms of public television series. It makes me feel proud on behalf of public television, as well as all the talented directors, writers and post-production individuals we work with who contribute to the high quality of the series.

The Emmy will join the others, as well as the Peabodys, Grammys and assorted other honors on shelves in my office. It’s pretty crowded up there and everyone worries the shelves will cave in someday.

Q. Since you created “American Masters” in 1984, a lot of programs that profile American artists have come and gone … How do you manage to keep your program relevant to today’s audience?

I think when you are focusing your programs on people whose cultural contribution was significant and whose body of work is defining, the films are always relevant. I have always made it a point to balance so-called “high” art with popular culture to reach as broad an audience a possible. Not everyone will be interested in every subject but, taken together, they cross the boundaries imposed by traditional means of measuring demographics. I also feel strongly that if we remain true to the mission of public television and, therefore, not bow before the ratings gods, we will always stand out, attracting a loyal audience not necessarily drawn to reality television and sitcoms, but who will stick with us year after year and, in fact, continually grow.

Q. What are some of your favorite “American Masters” programs, and why?

It’s difficult to pick my favorites, as I choose the subjects, put the teams together and often direct an episode myself, so there are many children in my stable. I can say that my favorite film to direct was Leonard Bernstein. In general, I am drawn most to those films which successfully transcend the traditional straight-ahead, narrative format to achieve layers of complexity and texture. This isn’t easy to do and not every subject lends itself to this, but when we do hit it, I am ecstatic. I would love to hear from our audience what their favorites are.

Q. What artists can we look forward to seeing on upcoming episodes of “American Masters”?

We have incredible subjects in development for future seasons, including John Lennon, Miles Davis, John Muir, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Carson, Odetta, Jack Kerouac and Ken Kesey, Mel Brooks, Jackson Pollock, Jessye Norman, Stephen Spielberg, Robert Altman, Helen Keller, Alvin Ailey, August Wilson, Joe Papp, Bill T. Jones, William Buckley, Cachao, to name but some of the films we are working on.

Funding remains our biggest challenge. Everyone loves and values the series, but it is very difficult to raise the money to make these films. The high cost of the rights associated with them, as well as our high standards of filmmaking, makes it impossible for them to be produced inexpensively. But, that’s another story.

On Wednesday, September 17, female vocalist Mary Travers passed away at the age of 72 after a battle with cancer. Watch a clip of the group performing “Blowin’ in the Wind” in 1966.

On September 16, 1962, THIRTEEN first signed on the air, marking the birth of a unique source of outstanding television for the New York metropolitan area and viewers all across America. Nearly half a century later, the adventure continues. On the occasion of this 47th anniversary, Rafael Pi Roman interviews the station’s Founding General Manager, Richard D. Heffner.

A scene from Nature's The Good, the Bad, and the Grizzly.

News and Public Affairs: Nightly Programs:
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer: The reports, segmented by story, per day.
Nightly Business Report: The reports stream online.
NJN News: The reports stream online for one week (see archives M-Tu-W-Th-F).
Worldfocus:The nightly news show streams online for 15 days; signature stories are online forever.

Charlie Rose:
Sept. 7: Conversations about Afghanistan and Pakistan with Hamid Karzai, Robert Gates, Adm. Michael Mullen, Anthony Zinni and Asif Ali Zardari.
Sept. 8: A preview on Obama’s health care speech with John Podesta; a talk about Obama’s speech to students with ABC News’ Jake Tapper.
Sept. 9: Analysis of Obama’s health care speech with Kathleen Dahlkemper, David Brooks, Joseph A. Califano, Al Hunt, Anthony Weiner, Rich Lowry and Thaddeus McCotter.
Sept. 10: Author E.L. Doctorow; Sprint Nextel CEO and president Daniel Hesse.
Sept. 11:Author Donald Dell; NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly; New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger; Remembering Sept. 11, 2001, with Nora Ephron, Lee Ielpi, Rudy Giuliani, Karl Rove, Pete Hamill and James Efthimiades.

Tavis Smiley:
Sept. 7: Singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson.
Sept. 8: Twitter co-founder Biz Stone; actress Gloria Reuben
Sept. 9: Country singer Reba McEntire; author Dean Koontz.
Sept. 10: Comedian-talk show host Jay Leno.
Sept. 11: Comedian-talk show host Jay Leno; producer Mark Johnson.

News and Public Affairs: Weekly Programs:
Washington Week: President Obama’s health care plan and Congress; Supreme Court on campaign finance; 9/11 eight years later.
NOW on PBS: This week’s show examines how Rwanda’s health care system is impacting both its citizens’ health and the nation’s economy.
Bill Moyers Journal: A conversation with McClatchy Pentagon correspondent Nancy Youssef on Afghanistan; an interview with global health specialist and Dartmouth College president Dr. Jim Yong Kim on public health.
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly:

• Islam makes a comeback in today’s Indonesia.
• A profile of the Cistercian Abbey, which is financially supported through sales of ink and toner supplies.
• A segment on the Jewish High Holidays.
• An interfaith prayer service with Muslims at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, DC on Sept. 3.

Consuelo Mack Wealthtrack: Covering the topics of higher inflation, rising interest rates and higher taxes; featuring Armored Wolf CIO John Brynjolfsson, Loomis Sayles & Company vice chairman Dan Fuss; and ISI Group managing director Tom Gallagher.
New York Now: The State Senate and ethics reform. Available for one week.
Foreign Exchange: A talk with embedded journalist Nir Rosen, who has covered the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2003; a report on the education system in Afghanistan.

News and Public Affairs:
Wide Angle:Time for School 3, Part 2. A look at kids in several different countries seeking a basic education. Part of Wide Angle’s decade-long documentary project.

Science and Nature:
P.O.V.: The English Surgeon. A documentary film on Henry Marsh, an English brain surgeon working in the Ukraine and how he helps people in need despite obstacles under a failing medical infrastructure,
Nature: The Good, the Bad, and the Grizzly. The return of the grizzly bears at Yellowstone raises a question of whether they should still be protected under the Endangered Species Act.

History:
Antiques Roadshow: Tucson, Arizona-Hour Two.
History Detectives: Scottsboro boys stamp; Civil War bridge; Duke Ellington plates.

Arts and Culture:
Masterpiece Mystery: Inspector Lewis, Series Two: Life Born of Fire. Lewis and Hathaway look into the suicide of a man at a church. Available for online viewing through September 27, 2009.
Masterpiece Mystery: Inspector Lewis, Series Two: Music to Die For. The underground world of bare-knucke boxing is tied with a murder in Oxford. Available for online viewing through September 20, 2009.

DIY:
Your Life, Your Money. Hosted by Donald Faison, this program is for your young adults about the fundamentals concepts of finance such as banking and credit debt.
Families Stand Together: Hosted by Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, this program presented by Sesame Street offers advice and suggestions to help families cope in these tough economic times.

Q. Why did you choose to do a film about Celia Cruz?

I know that I speak for my co-director, Mario de Varona when I tell you that Celia was the soundtrack of our lives. She was a performer that transcended generational, ethnic, genre, racial and cultural boundaries and that made her an appealing subject for us.

Q. Celia Cruz was a legendary performer around the world – how did you get access to her to tell her story?

Mario and I sent Celia a proposal for a documentary film in 1998 almost as a lark, never really thinking she would get back to us. Low and behold a few weeks later we received word from her management that she wanted to meet and it all came together rather quickly after that.

Q. So what was Celia like?

Celia was the persona you saw on stage, maybe a few decibels lower but essentially the same person. She was caring, generous, sincere and damn talented.

Q. Celia is beloved all over the world – was there a lot of pressure in how you approached the film?

Once we embarked on this journey, Mario and I knew we were taking on a serious task. We treated the project with the utmost respect and devotion. We poured every ounce of blood sweat and tears into it.

Q. Did you learn anything about Celia during the making of the film that you didn’t know before?

How amazingly generous and giving she was as a human being.

Q. Celia Cruz passed away in 2003; what do you think she would make of the recent political changes going on in Cuba?

I don’t feel comfortable answering this question for Celia. I can tell you that she did not agree with the regime that has governed Cuba for over 50 years and yearned for the day that there would be a change in power so that she could go back.

Watch a preview:

Ross: My work in the past has focused mostly on places. After producing The City Concealed, I wanted to work on a project that profiled people. For the last few months I’ve been following The New York Times’ One in 8 Million project, along with David Lynch’s Interview Project, and I thought it would be fun to try something along those lines.

Q. What kind of people and professions will you be profiling in the series?

Ross: So far we’ve shot a tugboat captain, a movie location scout, a street artist/vendor, and a coffee cart guy. We’ve got some leads we’re working on at the moment, but really any job in the city is worth exploring, and the list of professions in the five boroughs is obviously a long one.

Q. Who is the most memorable person who’ve filmed so far, and why?

Ross: Chris Baker, the tugboat captain (which we’ll post in two weeks), stands out
to me simply because we spent the most time with him. We boarded his ship at 4 am and stayed out on the harbor until 7 pm. Chris describes his job as long hours of boredom punctuated by moments of intense concentration. During our fifteen hours aboard his tug, we got to experience that first hand. Plus, escorting an 800-foot aircraft carrier up the Hudson as the sun rose over Manhattan isn’t something I’ll forget.

Q. What challenges did you face in filming the premiere episode in Coney Island?

Ross: The most challenging part of filming at the Cyclone is deciding what not to film. We had four 32GB memory cards, which can hold about 2 hours of HD video. We spent an hour interviewing Jerry, and then moved on to shooting B roll. There’s just an endless amount of visually exciting subjects to shoot in and around Coney Island. We kept having to remind ourselves of what shots took priority because it’s so easy to get excited and distracted by all the weird sights.

Q. Is there a job in New York that you would never want to do?

Ross: Police officer. Not because it’s dangerous, but because I don’t think I
could take the stress of making so many ethical/legal split-second decisions on a daily basis.