Public Broadcasting

"Public broadcasting offers excellence in everything from PBS' Sesame Street to NOVA, from NPR's All Things Considered to Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me. Whether you want science or Swan Lake, Frontline or Almanac, TPT provides. Whether your thing is The Current or The Morning Show, MPR is creative, quirky and, well, dependably Minnesotan. Public broadcasting like this deserves more, not less, support. The public must insist that they get it."
- Star Tribune (Minnesota) Editorial, June 22, 2005

NPR

“The one bright ray in an otherwise bleak landscape: NPR. NPR does news in-depth, news with context, news that is international. And their audience has grown. There is a hunger out there for this sort of thing. I don't think everybody wants to be entertained with fluff. I think people will turn on the news to find out what's going on. If they want to be entertained, they turn on something else.”
- CJR Daily, March 18, 2005

“National Public Radio…remains a bastion of exemplary journalism. Long a reliable information source, it has distinguished itself with virtually non-stop coverage during recent national crises, notably Sept. 11 and the Iraq war. On its Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, NPR showcases consistently impressive reporting from a dozen correspondents in and around Iraq. My hero is Anne Garrels, who reported from Baghdad's Palestine Hotel day after scary day, before, during and after the coalition bombardment. Her bravery, and that of other correspondents under Iraqi and U.S. gun, has been inspirational.”
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 17, 2003

“In the case of NPR’s woman in Baghdad, Anne Garrels, there are volumes to be read in the unpolished, unrehearsed, admirably unprogrammed way she reports the news…. Garrels is proving that a few choice words, honestly delivered, are worth more than a thousand pictures. You may not see them before you, but in your mind’s eye, they carry lasting truth.”
- Chicago Sun-Times, April 6, 2003

“With no pictures to rely on, NPR has specialized in analysis and background, as well as extensive battlefield coverage. Whether reporting on Congress' problems in dealing with a national budget that doesn't mention a war, or the recent turn of many previously moderate or pro-American Middle Eastern Muslim clerics against the United States, NPR has been a beacon of the fair, balanced coverage others only pretend to.”
- Copley News Service, March 25, 2003

“After nearly going bankrupt in the mid-1980s, NPR is enjoying its best stretch ever, with a weekly audience up 48% since 1998 and revenues, in a flat economy, projected to grow 5% this year. As war and terrorism jitters create a hunger for more in-depth news—with little of it to be found on many commercial stations—listeners are turning to NPR programs and to public radio in general.”
- Time Magazine, Mar. 24, 2003

“NPR's journalism is in-depth, accurate, fair, intelligent, and, not insignificantly, virtually commercial-free. … NPR is an island of sanity, civility, and seriousness. And its reporters and personalities are truly talented: Their ability to explain complex issues in plain, sharp, value-neutral language may be unsurpassed in all of broadcasting.”
- The Washington Monthly, Jan./Feb. 2003

“It’s hard news with human-interest stories as told by people with good voices. Don’t be afraid to turn on the radio and just hear people talk. It puts you in a place, unlike TV, where you’re called upon to use your imagination. And that’s always exciting.”
- Omaha World-Herald, Jan. 6, 2002

“Many of NPR’s listeners said they turned to public radio programming for a respite from the frenzy of televised news. Their nerves jangled by the hijackings and TV’s constant replays of the World Trade Center collapsing, listeners found comfort in stories that invite reflection—NPR’s hallmark.”
- Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2001

PBS

"Throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s and into the 21st century, PBS continues to set the bar in children's programming."
- Kids First, January 9, 2006

"PBS remains an institution for its mix of programs. Its children's shows.offer an oasis in daytime. In prime time, PBS schedules such winners as NOVA, American Experience, American Masters, Frontline and Masterpiece Theatre."
- Orlando Sentinel, October 30, 2005

"When it comes to the youngest viewers, it's hard to go wrong with a PBS program."
- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock), June 1, 2005

American Experience "The Fight"

"The Louis-Schmeling documentary defines the bind perfectly. You may hate boxing, but the story it tells about America in the 1930s deserves an audience. If not PBS, who would tell that story?"
- Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2005

African American Lives

"Tonight African American Lives, a four-hour series, begins on PBS; it's the most exciting and stirring documentary on any subject to appear on television in a long time."
- New York Times, February 1, 2006

NOVA

"Of all the documentaries and news programs about Hurricane Katrina, this one from NOVA gives the most definitive presentation to date."
- The Hollywood Reporter, November 21, 2005

RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge

"The mesmerizing documentary RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge, is a six-part, three-night PBS special.Take the time to see this fascinating movie."
- Salt Lake Tribune, November 1, 2005

History Detectives

"Children's programming on public television has a long history of celebrating diversity.This season, PBS is taking its commitment a step further by launching several new shows that focus on the Hispanic American experience, one of which also seeks to bolster kids' basic language skills."
- TelevisionWeek, September 6, 2004

"The next time somebody wonders why we need PBS, show them History Detectives .Cable relates information, certainly, but much less often does it provide the depth, attitude and artistry that continue to distinguish PBS."
- New York Daily News, June 27, 2004

The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer

"PBS and The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer had a strong year, with political operatives from all sides showing up regularly for in-depth interviews."
- USA Today, November 7, 2004

"Jim Lehrer's NewsHour, meanwhile, was a picture of balance."
- Washington Post, October 27, 2004

"PBS proved its worth as a public trust.Jim Lehrer and his teams of NewsHour commentators delivered cogent, relevant analysis about the issues at stake as opposed to picking apart appearances."
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 30, 2004

All Things Considered

“Now, 30 years later, All Things Considered® has not only survived, it has thrived. It has an audience of a few million people, including fellow journalists who have found consistent integrity, unique views and surprising content in the show.”
- CNN, April 30, 2001

Maya & Miguel

".worthwhile, with role models for Spanish-speaking children and incidental Spanish lessons for English-speaking viewers."
- The New York Times, October 11, 2004

"Kinetically paced and colorfully plotted... it represents an ambitious, well-funded new direction for children's programming at PBS."
- Dallas Morning News, October 11, 2004

".a breath of fresh air, presenting Latino characters that aren't hackneyed stereotypes."
- The New York Post, September 15, 2004

Slavery and the Making of America

".visually stunning, ambitious."
- The Chronicle of Higher Education

".harrowing. solemn and exemplary."
- The New York Times, February 9, 2005

" Slavery and the Making of America is an important - perhaps essential - attempt to help modern Americans understand slavery, its history and its lingering effects.it's a story all Americans can benefit from seeing."
- USA Today, February 8, 2005

"It's a serious, conscientious, revelatory examination of the issue, and a film that would only air on PBS."
- Copley News Service, February 8, 2005

News Coverage of National Political Conventions

"PBS - and a big round of applause for public television for bringing the political process to those who can't or won't get cable...."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 27, 2004

"Also refreshing.PBS' NewsHour With Jim Lehrer discussion of the key political issues and how the two candidates differed regarding them. It was about issues. It was a discussion. Hooray for PBS. "
- New York Daily News, July 27, 2004

Fidel Castro

". the program is captivating..."
- New York Daily News, January 31, 2005

". good television. fair-minded and compelling..."
- Los Angeles Times, January 31, 2005

".an astonishingly vivid, multilayered portrait of the much filmed Cuban leader."
- The Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2005

Frontline

"Imagine. A news program that went for substance instead of hype. It's no fluke, though. Frontline does that all year long."
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 26, 2004 on Frontline "The Choice: 2004"

". Frontline makes its points without a lot of fanfare, using the time-honored method of letting people think themselves."
- The Boston Globe, November 22, 2004, on Frontline "Secret History of the Credit Card"

"The Choice: 2004.extraordinarily well researched show... "
- Philadelphia Inquirer, October 27, 2004

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

".a lesson in narrative eloquence."
- New York Daily News, January 17, 2005

Do You Speak American?

". just about the best thing I've seen in ages...."
- Bangor Daily News, January 11, 2005

Now with Bill Moyers

".thoughtful, intelligent and respectful interviews and stories."
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 26, 2004

The Good, the Bad and the Grizzly

".compelling."
- Chicago Tribune, November 19, 2004

Touching the Void

".beautifully filmed."
- The Toronto Star, November 21, 2004

".a truly gripping outdoors adventure."
- Chicago Tribune, November 19, 2004

Postcards from Buster

".educational and upbeat."
- The Hollywood Reporter, October 13, 2004

".charming..."
- Associated Press, October 12, 2004

"Enthusiastic and endearing..."
- The New York Times, October 10, 2004

PBS Kids

"Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Reading Rainbow, Sagwa and ZOOM are positive, educational influences for various age groups. The PBS complementary sites online are thorough, the learning potential well-documented. Studies repeatedly show that kids who watch Sesame Street are better prepared to start school."
- Denver Post, March 25, 2004

Sesame Street

"Sesame Street has entertained and educated at the same time, engaging child and adult."
- The State (South Carolina), November 9, 2004 

"In an era when children have unprecedented choices of what to watch - via broadcast and cable television, videos, computer games, even DVDs in their family cars - Sesame Street is still the gold standard of kids' educational programming."
- Boston Globe, April 4, 2004 

"It's the village it takes to raise a child, and if it does not mirror the actual daily life of all its viewers, it at least provides them, for an hour a day, a kind of protected space to learn in.A place where everyone looks out for everyone else's best interests, and even as helpless a creature as Big Bird or Elmo can survive."
- Los Angeles Times, April 3, 2004 

"The preschool giant is credited with inventing the 'edutainment' format. Along with Dragon Tales, Sagwa and other PBS offerings, it's culturally diverse and loaded with pro-social values."
- Denver Post, March 25, 2004

Boohbah

".a new show that takes us back into the alternative universe of the very young."
- Time Magazine, January 19, 2004  

".for children the world over, the 'booh' and 'bah' sounds are music to the ears."
- The New York Times, January 18, 2004

Clifford

"Like many other PBS children's television programs, Clifford the Big Red Dog is as homiletic as it is entertaining.Each episode conveys a moral, emotional or social message...warm and heartfelt and entertaining..."
- Boston Globe, March 18, 2004

Between the Lions

"Between the Lions is a blue-ribbon production for a lot of reasons, primarily because it's very true to research on how children learn to read."
- Cathy Grace, director of the Early Childhood Institute at Mississippi State University in Clarion-Ledger (Mississippi), January 7, 2005 

American Family

".landmark television.this is drama with a broad sweep.As in any good saga, the overlapping storylines of this series touch on important political and social issues both at home and abroad."
- The Christian Science Monitor, April 2, 2004

".open-hearted and uses some of television's most deeply drawn characters.lush and beautifully shot..."
- Sacramento Bee, April 2, 2004

"Thank goodness, then, that American Family -- Journey of Dreams airs on PBS, where it won't be moved around, hidden away or scrapped before its run is finished. What it may do is grant an interior peek at the source of the nation's great ideological divide, and without preaching a pro- or anti-war agenda.the series has the familiar framework of family and heart on its side.."
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 1, 2004

Prime Suspect

"TV news doesn't get much better than this: Helen Mirren is back in another Prime Suspect .This sixth installment is as rewarding and disturbing as any this Emmy-winning series has produced.As long as there are still actors and characters of this caliber, all is still well with the TV world."
- USA Today, April 16, 2005

".the best story of the entire Tennison series, well worth waiting seven years for."
- Wall Street Journal, April 16, 2004

".boldly memorable... Tennison is one of the richest characters on TV today, and Mirren, as always, gives an equally impressive performance."
- NY Daily News, April 15, 2004

Colonial House

".beautifully filmed and expertly assembled...one of those great programs that makes you want to rejoice and grind your teeth at the same time."
- Kansas City Star, May 17, 2004

".thought-provoking...reality you can feel good about watching."
- Hollywood Reporter, May 16, 2004

"Colonial House is the best reality series yet in the PBS line.one of the more ambitious and satisfying programs."
- Orlando Sentinel, May 16, 2004

NOVA: Origins

"Thanks to Origins, a brainy but accommodating series on PBS's NOVA, viewers can see what textbooks can't fully depict. demanding, jaw-dropping...The photography of this series takes viewers everywhere a brain can imagine."
- The New York Times, September 28, 2004

"There's so much about Origins to praise and enjoy. It's a show you'll want to watch, want to tape, and most probably want to keep.it's one of the best science series PBS, or anyone else, has presented this year.impossible to forget."
- New York Daily News, September 27, 2004

Broadway

".a pageant of music, dance and rare film clips of Broadway's most vibrant moments."
- The New York Times, October 19, 2004

".a smart primer on a quintessential American idiom."
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 19, 2004

"Nearly as splashy, flashy and phantasmagorical as the American art form it celebrates..."
- Washington Post, October 19, 2004

".PBS gives us a rollicking trip through a century of that magic and power with the bravura six-hour miniseries Broadway: The American Musical."
- Sacramento Bee, October 18, 2004

Regency House Party

"By all means, join the party."
- Philadelphia Inquirer, November 17, 2004 

".sumptuous..."
- Montreal Gazette, November 17, 2004

Unforgivable Blackness

".must see viewing on PBS."
- Sports Business News, January 18, 2004

" Unforgivable, in many ways, is both impressively and regrettably unforgettable."
- New York Daily News, January 17, 2004

"Jack Johnson's American story packs a powerful punch.a fascinating tale that can't be told enough times."
- The Baltimore Sun, January 15, 2005

NOVA scienceNOW

". NOVA's new NOVA scienceNow program explores cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation in real time, as the science unfolds."
- WashingtonPost.com, January 26, 2005

".a magazine show that lends a bit of mind-stretching whimsy to 'breaking science' ."
- Associated Press, January 20, 2005

".PBS' NOVA science franchise has a winner in its new breakout series, NOVA scienceNOW, . the pieces are lively, the narration lucid enough for the average viewer to understand, and the visual presentation unfailingly intriguing .an engrossing winner."
- Catholic News Service, January 10, 2005

Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State

".absorbing."
- Catholic News Service, January 10, 2005