2008 Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Awards

Meet the 2008 Detroit winners and see their original stories "come to life" in this competition for kids in grades K-3. Fred Nahhat and Kelley Hamilton host.

Come and check out other videos on our website http://www.dptv.org/

Parent Care, Health Care and Back Care

Life is funny and full of quirks. One of the things I find interesting is the fact that a lot of us are finding that we need to care for our aging parents. With people living longer many of us get to enjoy having our parents around with us a lot longer, but we are faced with the realities that come with our parents not being able to handle normal things without help.

DPTV is focusing on this situation this evening with a film by Michael Kirk “Caring for Your Parents”. This documentary chronicles the efforts of five families with senior parents and the issues they grapple with while trying to provide care for their aging parents. This informative look at these challenges airs at 9 PM and will re-air at 2:30 AM Thursday morning. For those with High Definition, our HD channel, 56.1 will air this program tonight at 9 PM, Thursday at 11 AM and again Sunday the 6th at 9 AM, giving you more options for viewing.

Health care seems to be in the forefront of most discussions these days and we realize this. I received so many calls Monday from people who caught a part of Sunday’s “Unnatural Causes” series asking when it was being shown again that I also wanted to address that. There currently is not a re-air date for any of the series. For those watching on the Analog channel, it’s a “one shot” deal with each episode. Coming up Sunday is the second of four episodes “When the Bough Breaks, Becoming American.” This episode focuses on black and white infant-mortality rates and also examines the health of Mexican immigrants who arrive in the U.S. in better health than Americans and their health decline over time. This in depth exploration of America’s racial and socioeconomic inequities in health airs Sunday at 7 PM. HD viewers will be able to catch this episode on Thursday the 3rd at 10 PM with a re-airing at 1 AM Friday morning.

One other subject that has come up a lot this week is the fact that Priscilla’s Yoga Stretches disappeared this week. Priscilla devotees fear not. Priscilla will be back soon due to popular demand. I’ll update you here as soon as I know the “restart” date or you can check the schedule at dptv.org.

As always, give us a call at Member Services for any questions you can’t find the answer to on our website! We’re in the office Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM to help you.

Pam Reynolds
Detroit Public TV
WRCJ 90.9 FM
Member Services
(248) 305-3907

A Few Good Statistics

Two positive stories to share with others that show the continued interest of the public in Detroit Public Television and over-the-air broadcasting:

Viewership
In the February 2008 Nielsen "Sweeps," DPTV's audience grew nicely compared to February 2007, despite more choices than ever.

- Our full-day cumulative household audience grew by 2% over last year.
- Our primetime household audience climbed by 10%.

Currently approximately 1.5 million people in the Detroit area watch us each week. That's a LOT of people that count on WTVS 56, Detroit Public Television.

Digital Transition
The public – especially in our area – is getting the message that they need to act to be sure they keep getting over-the-air broadcasts with the transition to digital by February 17, 2009.

People in Michigan and Southeast Michigan are outpacing national averages in requesting the $40 coupons from http://www.blogger.com/www.dtv2009.gov

or 1-888-DTV-2009.

- Nearly 5% of all requests for the coupons have come from Michigan, though we have only 3% of the nation's population.
- At this point, out of 50 states, only California, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania residents have requested more coupons than Michiganians have!
- Nearly half of the Michigan requests came from Southeast Michigan ZIP codes. We and our commercial TV colleagues are working hard to get the word out and answer viewer questions, and it is paying off.

We want our viewers and they want us. More info is available here.

Dan Alpert

COO and Station Manager

Detroit Public TV

What is real "reality tv"?

The Real World, American Idol, Survivor, Biggest Loser, Extreme Home Makeover… these tv shows are all examples of what the national and cable networks tout as "Reality TV," the most recent tsunami in pop culture. These shows are so-called snapshots of real life, that is to say that the subjects are not actors, their lines and performances are not scripted, and the shows follow a well-edited chronological time table to the foreseen end of the story/contest/objective. They are scrubbed up for prime time with pop soundtracks, cool graphics, slick editing, predictable conflict, and glossy PR. This splashy show of network economics 101 is the farthest thing from real life. And it's tired, really tired. But the masses are asses, my friends, and so folks continue to tune in to see which "Biggest Loser" contestant is going to lose 12 pounds this week. IN ONE WEEK. There's nothing compelling about that to me, because it's not real. I want to experience real life.

The other end of the spectrum, farthest from this so-called "reality" network fodder, are documentary films. Yes, they run the gamut from propoganda to fair and balanced perspective... but it's the dedication of the filmmaker to the subject that makes a documentary special. There are documentaries out there that will blow your mind. Take, for example, the Oscar-winning film "Fog of War..." in this film, Robert S. McNamara basically admits that he and Lyndon Johnson should have been convicted as war criminals during the Vietnam War for the way they handled it. It is a rare snapshot from the perspective of a man who had an incredibly important role in history, and he's brutally honest with himself, Errol Morris (the filmmaker,) and the audience as he reflects on his life. It's a very significant film documenting an important era in American history. I saw this film at the Ann Arbor film festival a few years ago. Film festivals are so vital to the art of filmmaking, because for many films it is where they get seen for the first time. I worked in the beginning years to help get Detroit Docs, an international documentary film festival, up and running. The sweat, blood and tears put into it were well worth the incredible feeling of pride and accomplishment during the festival weekend. 130 films, 4 venues, many sponsors, and an entire weekend of quality documentary watching was the ultimate experience. I learned about the Detroit Mosaic Youth Singers, the history of the pre-fab home from the 1950's, the fanciful search for the best hot dog in America, the story of legendary but not-so-well-known music producer Tom Dowd, the plight of shelter dogs, and a day in the life of a used-car salesman. That is the best use of my personal time and money that I can think of.

But to me, the undeniable fact is that public television is still the best place to experience "reality tv." Detroit Public Television went on the air in 1955, and we have been producing and airing quality, balanced and objective REAL programming ever since. Whether we're showing a Great Performances concert, or an Independent Lens film, or one of our own locally produced documentaries, our programming reflects real society - real people, performers, international issues, compelling stories, and it ultimately offers a respite for those of us looking to be inspired. It is a service that is available to all viewers, not only offered in a cable package or satellite. And our programming doesn't need a spit-shine to stand on its own; it stands proudly as the last bastion of intelligent programming on the air.

Detroit Public Television's mission is to educate, entertain and inspire. And we love doing that every day.

Kerry Burke
Manager, Major and Planned Giving
DPTV

Like it or not, now is the time.

It’s inevitable, tax time is here and with about 3 weeks left to file your 2007 taxes now is the time to pull your paperwork together and make sure you have everything you need.

In Michigan, the state encourages you to support Detroit Public Television by allowing you to claim up to half of your donations made to the station on your taxes! There are, obviously, some limitations and they also require that you deduct the value of any “gifts” received in exchange for your support. They also require that you have a receipt for your donations in order to claim your tax break.

DPTV sends an “acknowledgement” letter which includes your membership card and your tax receipt at the end of each month for donations made that month. This “green” letter usually arrives around the 15th of the month following your donation. You will receive a separate acknowledgement for each donation made so you’ll get one that shows your donation for your Wayne Dyer Whole Enchilada

and a separate one for your David Broza tickets.

You should file each one with your tax paperwork so you have it available at tax time.

I know, in a “perfect world” the above statements are true but we live in the real world and it doesn’t always work that way. What happens if you can’t find your acknowledgement? How can you claim your donations if your “letter” was misplaced?

Member Services is ready to help! We have record of your donations made in 2007 available so we can review them with you to make sure you have everything you need. We can also provide a duplicate tax receipt for any missing acknowledgements so your records can be complete. Don’t wait to check your records though! We are able to email your receipt to you so you can print it out, but if you need it sent through the regular postal system, it could take up to a week to reach you!

Not sure if you have all your receipts? Give us a call at Member Services at (248) 305-3900 Monday – Friday between 9 AM and 5 PM and we’ll be glad to review with you to make sure you have everything you need.

Pam Reynolds
Member Services

DPTV

Cynicism's Last Stand

Most of us seem to have a cynical or skeptical edge. It can prevent us from making stupid choices. But I've also learned that few things thrive if you yield to moments of doubt. Several years ago, Detroit Public Television sought to expand the impact of a National Caregiving special by using the same phones you see during our member drives to field calls during the broadcast.

Through the efforts of our outreach director at the time (Hi, Anne), the plan was to have volunteers from hospice and health care organizations talk directly with viewers about caregiver issues. We would distribute local and national outreach materials and information, along with advice for dealing with the often overwhelming challenge of meeting the needs of a loved one in their final days.

I privately wondered whether anyone would volunteer or even watch a program with such a difficult subject. It seemed like the last thing an exhausted caregiver would want to watch, and I reasoned that they certainly wouldn't want to call us to receive a brochure.

I had seen the wonderful spirit of hospice staff and volunteers very recently with the death of my father, so the enthusiastic response to our request for phone volunteers shouldn't have surprised me. Caregivers can experience a deep sense of isolation, and I should have known they might need someone to talk with about the frustrating circumstances they face.

As I remember, the calls started early in the broadcast and continued beyond the closing credits. The phone rang over 220 times. At one point, a volunteer placed the receiver on the hook, and thought out loud, "I think I may have just saved a life."

At the end of the evening, when every caller had been served, a volunteer who had given up her evening in support of the project asked, "Can we do this again?"

So we did. And we've used our phone banks to address other social concerns, such as health care disparities, depression, and the needs of young people Aging Out of foster care.

There may indeed be such a thing as "healthy" cynicism and skepticism, when used sparingly. Thanks to this story about an inspiring group of Detroit Public TV volunteers and viewers, I never forget that optimism is the best place to start.

Posted by John O'Donnell
Communications and Brand Management
Detroit Public TV