VPM NL JulyAugust24

Presented by NOVA

Sea Change : Gulf of Maine

Brings Home the Impact of a Changing Climate

From the tip of Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, the Gulf of Maine courses with cold, nutrient-rich, deep-sea water, artfully mixed by the world’s biggest tides. This unique aquatic environment feeds a web of 3,000 species, ranging from microscopic plankton to massive right whales.

strength to weather the human-induced storm? Is the sheer beauty of the place and the spectacular range of its creatures enough to wake us to the stakes?

Millions of people have lived along the Gulf’s rising edge, drawing their sustenance, fame, and fortune from its plentiful depths. A seminal body of water, the Gulf has remarkable historical significance as a cradle to ancient peoples and a lifeline to fragile colonies. Yet for all this storied bounty, long sustaining humans and marine animals, the Gulf is now in peril — its once-abundant fish stocks possibly depleted to irreversible levels. What happens to the Gulf — for the animals in the water, for the jobs dependent on them, and for the millions of people along its shores — is also likely to happen worldwide. With the Gulf warming 99% faster than the global ocean, we are at a crossroads for its future — and the future of our oceans. Does the Gulf retain enough of its biodiversity and regenerative

A special three-part presentation of NOVA, premiering on July 24, Sea Change tells the epic story about a regional location with profound global implications. It is part of a new slate of ocean- and freshwater-centered programming that PBS has created as part of its multiyear climate initiative to enhance viewers’ awareness of the urgent challenges facing our oceans.

Sea Change: Gulf of Maine joins Great American Eclipse, A.I. Revolution, and Decoding the Universe: Cosmos this year as part of NOVA ’s 50-year commitment to demystify the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. Recognized with hundreds of awards over the years, including multiple Emmy and Peabody Awards, NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television.

Airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. starting July 24 on VPM PBS.

Launches

Civics Content Initiative

Beginning in July, kids will enjoy a second season of a favorite, and a new series from Sesame Workshop. It’s part of a yearlong initiative to encourage young viewers to learn about civics and get involved in their communities.

City Island encourages kids to follow the further adventures of the young lightbulb named Watt and his friends. Season 2 offers 20 new episodes, as well as a new suite of games that allow young players to become City Island citizens. This year’s season of City Island builds on season 1 by focusing on topics like news media, advertisements, and information on the Internet.

From the Desk of … Jayme Swain

Dear VPM Member,

An important role for public media is to provide the information we all need to be informed citizens. While many schools no longer teach civics, PBS KIDS is filling the gap with programming to help children understand the role they play in their communities. For adults, Firing Line with host Margaret Hoover brings us a special documentary about voting and voting systems to demystify this foundational process in a healthy democracy.

In addition to the content from PBS, VPM News will cover the issues that matter most to the Commonwealth as Virginians prepare for local and national elections in November.

Importantly, we will deliver election coverage through TV and radio broadcasts, podcasts,

digital platforms and social media to reach and engage audiences of all ages.

I could not be prouder of our VPM News team, which was recently recognized with 10 awards for excellence in journalism from the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters awards.

Thank you for valuing the importance of journalism and supporting this essential work.

VA 23235

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

“No matter where you live or what your beliefs are, our love of laughter is something we all have in common. Laughter opens our ears and our hearts — and once people are listening, who knows what they might be inspired to do?” says Jesus Trejo, host of a new documentary series.

Part comedy, part social commentary, part travelogue, the upcoming episodes of Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo show viewers six stand-up comedians who are paired up with Trejo, each in their own community — Minneapolis (MN), Laredo (TX), Denver (CO), Chinle (AZ), Portland (OR), and Los Angeles (CA) — to explore the mosaic of our nation

y JS

Sincerely, Jayme Swain President and CEO, VPM and the Virginia Foundation for Public Media

Together We Can is a new series of liveaction music videos for young viewers from our friends at Sesame Workshop. This 20-episode series covers topics ranging from what it means to be a member of a community to the importance of rules and rights. The first ten videos drop in July, with another ten episodes rolling out in August. Air dates/times are subject to change. Please check vpm.org/watch/tv-schedule for updates.

through a unique blend of levity, reality, and education on multiple platforms.

First stop Los Angeles, where Jesus embraces the hometown vibe, teaming up with actor-comedian Sierra Katow, a fourthgeneration Chinese and Japanese American. Sierra and Jesus weave culture, history, and humor against the vibrant tapestry of L.A.

Next Jesus meets Samoan comedian Adam Pasi in Portland. The only two-time winner of Portland’s Funniest Person competition, Adam takes Jesus behind the scenes, showcasing the grind it takes to become a successful comic, while performing for his parents for the first time.

Airs Fridays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. starting June 21 on VPM PBS.

LA FORZA DEL DESTINO

Love! Revenge! Hidden identities! What could possibly go wrong? Take your seat as soprano Lise Davidsen stars as the noble Leonora, one of the repertory’s most tormented and thrilling heroines, in Verdi’s grand opera La Forza del Destino

The distinguished cast also features tenor Brian Jagde as Leonora’s forbidden beloved Don Alvaro, baritone Igor Golovatenko as her vengeful brother Don Carlo, mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi as the fortune teller Preziosilla,

bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi as Fra Melitone, and bass Soloman Howard as both Leonora’s father and Padre Guardiano.

Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the brilliant Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and director Mariusz Trelin´ski delivers The Met’s first new Forza in nearly 30 years. The scene is set in a contemporary world, and Trelin´ski makes extensive use of the Met’s turntable to represent the advance of destiny that drives the opera’s chain of calamitous events.

Airs Monday, July 8 at 8 p.m. on VPM PBS.

COUNTING THE VOTE

The ballot box has come under increasing scrutiny during the last few election cycles. In this special Firing Line documentary, host Margaret Hoover embarks on a journey to explore the varying voting systems across the United States. Which states have the most efficient and inclusive voting systems? What states face shortcomings and challenges in their voting process? Illuminating the state of affairs using personal stories and expert voices, Counting the Vote provides viewers with a comprehensive understanding of this most powerful tool in our democracy. Look for Counting the Vote and other news, public affairs, and documentary coverage of the 2024 campaign in the coming months. “PBS is committed to extensive, thoughtful, and all-encompassing reporting on the local and national level covering every facet of the 2024 election,” says Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager.

Join PBS on July 4th to celebrate America’s Independence Day. A Capitol Fourth honors our country’s 248th birthday with an all-star salute live from the U.S. Capitol. For more than 40 years, this cherished annual event offers the best in American entertainment and helps set the tone for a spectacular birthday party for the nation. Each year’s concert has featured a parade of superstars such as Patti LaBelle, John Williams, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Steve Martin, Josh Groban, Gloria Estefan, Faith Hill, Ray Charles, Aaron Neville, and Kenny Rogers.

But what’s a July 4th without fireworks? A Capitol Fourth uses 20 cameras, positioned around Washington, D.C., to ensure viewers at home experience the thrill of watching the greatest display of fireworks in the nation. If you want to make your celebration extra special, go to the A Capitol Fourth website for DIY decoration ideas, downloadable fun and games, and patriotic recipes. Red, white, and blueberry salad? Yes, please!

Airs Thursday, July 4 at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on VPM PBS.

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Airs Friday, August 30 at 10 p.m. on VPM PBS.

VPM News Awards

This spring, the VPM News team received 10 awards for excellence in reporting at the 2023 Virginias AP Broadcasters Awards. The annual competition drew 619 entries from 38 broadcast news organizations representing Virginia and West Virginia.

VPM’s first-place award winners in the Radio I/Metro division include:

• Best MMJ/One-Person Band Reporter: Patrick Larsen

• Best Specialty Reporting: Ben Paviour for Politics/Criminal Justice

• Best Multi-Platform Story: Megan Pauly and Connor Scribner for Unchecked: Inside Richmond Public Schools Fire Inspections

• Best Station Promo: Whittney Evans for Curious Commonwealth

• Best Old Dominion Heritage: VPM News for Curious Commonwealth Additionally, VPM had five second-place finishes in the Radio I/Metro division, including:

• Best Spot News: Whittney Evans, Lilly Knoepp and Riley Thompson for A Regional Look at Abortion Access, One Year After the Fall of Roe v. Wade

• Best Documentary or In-Depth: Shaban Athuman, Whittney Evans, and Connor Scribner for Healthy City

• Best Reporter: Jahd Khalil

• Best Q & A (One-on-One) Interview: Ian Stewart for Veronica O. Davis: Civil Engineer, Transportation Planner, Self-Described Transportation Nerd

• Best Multi-Platform Story: Shaban Athuman for Iwacu: A Journey to Rediscovering Home

Music Host Spotlight: Dave Cantor, Cobwebs & Strange

Cobwebs & Strange is a new VPM Music show hosted by Dave Cantor. Dave is an editor at VPM News during the day, but at 9 p.m. Thursdays, he plays ecstatic, psychedelic, and improvised music for listeners on 107.3 FM and 93.1 FM.

Read on to learn more about Dave.

We can usually find you in the newsroom. What inspired you to create a new music show? Cobwebs & Strange is just a catchall for the music floating around in my head. I’ve actually had a handful of shows in the past — most recently at WTJU in Charlottesville. But I’ve been an avid listener to a bunch of weird music since I was a kid.

The first story I ever published was an interview with the Adolescents, an early-’80s hardcore band. So, the music thing actually preceded the news thing.

What can our listeners expect from Cobwebs & Strange? College radio in Cleveland, Ohio, when I was growing up in the ’90s, reconfigured my brain. There was a little bit of everything: metal, punk, jazz, and funk. I’m aiming for that same sense of freedom. So, there might be a 1970s synthesizer track that segues into a doom metal cut.

Who are some of your favorite musicians to play on the show? I haven’t programmed a lot of these yet, but I anticipate leaning on

the catalog of German band Can — which combined ideas from ’60s psychedelia, jazz, and musique concrète.

Guitarist Mary Halvorson’s also a perennial favorite, and revisiting some of her older work recently made me realize how varied it is. So, listeners should expect running into her frequently, too.

How has your news experience influenced the creation of Cobwebs & Strange? That’s a really interesting question. I’ve probably covered arts stuff as much as I’ve worked in news. And the biggest difference between those two beats is the distance a reporter has from the subject.

Lots of arts coverage — and this partially has to do with problems around access to stars — is just gushing positivity. I think my job as a DJ, like in news, is to offer listeners and readers ideas and to let them reach their own conclusions.

You might like experimentalist Phill Niblock. Or you might think all he did was make noise. But knowing he existed, I think, is important for adventurous listeners.

What is something our audience might be surprised to learn about you? Oh, man. This is maybe a bigger deal in Virginia than it is elsewhere, but I’ve never eaten an oyster.

We Want To Hear From You

At VPM, we are dedicated to sharing stories that educate, entertain, and inspire. Now, we want to share your story about the impact VPM has had on you, your family, and your community.

Email your story to membership@vpm.org any time. We may even share your testimonial online or on the air!

Thank You

We would like to take an extra moment to say “thank you!” We are so very grateful for community members like you who believe in the power of public media. Your passion and generosity allow us to continue to serve our community to the best of our ability. We literally can’t do what we do without you.