PBS SoCal Telethon to Air In Wake of Trump’s Public Broadcasting Cuts
In the wake of the Trump administration’s defunding of public broadcasting, local stations PBS SoCal (KOCE and KCET) are planning a telethon next week from the PBS outfit’s Burbank Studios home. “We ? Public Television!” is billed as a live, three hour telethon “honoring 55 remarkable years of public television – America’s trusted, free public media service that reaches every city, town and rural community across the nation.?.. This program celebrates the extraordinary musical artists and personalities who have graced PBS stages and screens, showcasing the cultural richness that public media and local PBS stations offer all Americans.”
Set to take place on Saturday, Nov, 8 at 4 p.m. PT, Rickey Minor will serve as music director for the telecast. Guests right now are scheduled to include Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ken Burns, Ziggy Marley, Lily Tomlin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Marlee Matlin, Nicholas Ralph, Noel Paul Stookey, Rick Steves, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Adam Arkin, Courtney Vance, Martha Plimpton, Joe Bonamassa, Sheléa, Jesse Cook, Judy Blume, Celtic Woman, Sarah Silverman, Mychal the Librarian, Lindsey Stirling and more.
The telethon will also feature performances from Nashville PBS including Kathy Mattea, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle and Ketch Secor.
After its initial broadcast on PBS SoCal, “We ? Public Television” will air on PBS stations across the country on Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving night). It will also be available on the PBS app from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24. Additionally, PBS SoCal will rebroadcast the event on Thanksgiving night at 7 p.m. PT.
“This telethon is going to be a giant lovefest celebrating public television,” said Maura Daly Phinney, who is serving as exec producer of the telethon for PBS SoCal. “We will feature great music, some classic clips from viewers’ favorite PBS series and a few surprises. Every contribution that viewers make will go to their local public television station and help them fill the gap created by the loss of our federal funding.”
Besides the live musical performances and celebrity appearances, “We ? Public Television!” will include viewer testimonials and archival material from public television shows including “Masterpiece,” “Austin City Limits,” “Great Performances” and “Sesame Street.”
