This is a prologue - WMFE

Focused on Quality NationalTelevision ProgrammingThis year was particularly vexing for WMFE-TV dueto fewer high-profile PBS series to attract viewers.Interestingly, while the number of WMFE membersrose, viewership declined slightly yielding a monthlyaverage of 476,750 households watching WMFE-TVduring all day-parts. However, viewing in prime time– from 8 to 11 p.m. – increased slightly.WMFE-TV broadcast severallandmark programs that reflectedyour expectation for the station toalways achieve a higher standard inour program schedule. In Octoberthe critically-acclaimed Broadway:The American Musical aired, as did anew biography of Robert F. Kennedy,American Experience: RFK. Frontlinepresented the comprehensive dual-biography TheChoice 2004 about the Democratic and Republicanpresidential candidates.In December Great Performances featured EricClapton – Crossroads Guitar Festival and MasterpieceTheatre presented a new version of the classic BorisPasternak story Dr. Zhivago.In January a new film by PBS’ most famousdocumentarian Ken Burns was telecast:Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fallof Jack Johnson told the story of one ofthe first African-American HeavyweightChampions of the World. Johnson’sdominance over white opponents spurredfurious debates and race riots in the early20 th century.In February WMFE marked Black History Monthwith the premiere of the groundbreaking Slaveryand the Making of America, which offered entirelynew perspectives and facts about slavery, and theP.O.V. documentary Chisholm ’72 Unbought andUnbossed about the presidential candidacy of ShirleyChisholm.Frontline’s The Soldier’s Heart received your criticalacclaim for its look at the life of returning Iraq Warveterans. And Nova provided an in-depth story ofthe catastrophic tsunami that hit Southeast Asia.We also underscored Women’s History Month withnumerous programs including The Life and Times ofFrida Kahlo.Nature: Deep Jungle premiered in April,featuring remarkable, never beforeseen video from deep within jungleenvironments. Battlefield Britain used4computer animation to recreate complex battlescenes throughout British history.May saw the broadcast of a film acquired from HBO,Sometimes in April, which re-told the story of thetragedy of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.Great Performances: Operatunity aired in June, andfeatured two star discoveries as they headed fortheir debut on stage in a grand opera.July’s Guns, Germs and Steel from NationalGeographic examined the surprising effects of thesethree items on the development of the entire world.In late September wepremiered a major series TheSixties: the Years that Shaped aGeneration.And, all the while, WMFEcontinued to be a safe harbor for children andfamilies, telecasting more than 52 hours a weekof children’s programming which you tell us aretrustworthy and parent-safe!Focusing on the Future…Knowing that PBS programming is thefoundation of WMFE’s audience, thestation will seek additional resourcesto bolster its national programmingschedule. WMFE-TV/DT will carry more nature,science and news documentaries from sourcessuch as National Geographic Society and the BBC.The rights for additional programs of Mystery!,Masterpiece Theatre and of new British comedy titleswill be purchased. And we will also invest in classicfamily movies.Sharpening our Focus on LocalTelevision Production andProgrammingThe capstone of WMFE’s local programming yearwas our broadcast of A Vision for Our Future, theculmination of an extensive process of gatheringyour input to envisionthe next five yearsfor WMFE. As partof WMFE’s 40 thanniversary project,A Vision for Our Future was produced in a logicalway: briefly recalling where WMFE has been in itsfirst 40 years and then, rather than spending selfcongratulating time looking backward, we choseto look forward to a renewed commitment toprogramming that you and others in the communitytold WMFE is important to realize our potential.