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Introducing Pittsburgh
Educational Television

Pittsburgh Educational Television (PET), established in 1996, is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the production of alternative programs in Pittsburgh for local and national distribution.

PET invites local organizations to sponsor and/or participate in programming -- whether theatre, arts, music, dance or public affairs.  All interested talent -- producers, performers, technicians -- are invited to respond to this opportunity.

News

HOMEFRONT
A Public Affairs Series

Jerry Starr, President, Pittsburgh Educational Television (PET), is pleased to announce the launch of a new public affairs television program, Homefront. This program is produced monthly before a participating studio audience at Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Museum. The production represents a collaboration of PET, Pittsburgh Community Television (PCTV21) and the Warhol.

Homefront programs feature a panel of scholars and activists examining the public interest in global and national problems, followed by general audience discussion. Panels are diverse by background and professional experience. Discussion of controversial issues is lively but civil. The show provides a monthly public forum for active citizens, compensating for the conservative bias of corporate media and timidity of local public broadcasting. Homefront presents Pittsburgh as a model for other communities who might consider launching a similar public affairs series.

Homefront also serves the outreach of public interest groups in the community. Participating groups assist in outreach and promotion and use the one-hour broadcast tapes for public education. Homefront also offers a laboratory for young people to learn the craft of television production. Students from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris University and Duquesne University have taken advantage of this opportunity.

The program plays every Saturday at 9pm on Pittsburgh Community Television (PCTV21), reaching a potential audience of 700 thousand and every other Tuesday on Adelphia 20 (South Hills) at 8pm, reaching another 200 thousand. Two shows have aired on commercial station WBGN-TV (sans commercials) throughout the entire area (1.1 million).

Homefront also is carried by stations across the whole state by PCN-TV, a Pennsylvania C-Span-like network. The last four programs in the series will air in December (watch listings). Nationally, Homefront airs on the Free Speech TV Network of The Dish (Echo Star) satellite service (9 million viewers), as well as affiliated public access stations across the country. Homefront may be downlinked from Free Speech TV (check schedule for listings).

Pittsburgh Educational Television also offers free VHS copies of Homefront to public access stations. Several (e.g. Atlanta, Dayton, Petaluma, St. Louis, Vermont, etc.) have offered the program to their viewers. BetaSP and mini-DV copies for public stations can be negotiated. All six Homefront programs will air on PBS station KOCE in Orange County California in December.

Programs Available

The War in Iraq
Barely weeks into the war experts on sanctions against Iraq, the United Nations, chemical/biological warfare, U.S. international security, and Islamic and Middle East politics analyze and accurately forecast what has since come to pass
(May 20, 2003:58:19)

Featured Speakers

Dr. Michael Alswede, Director, Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Davis Bobrow, Professor, International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Beth Daponte, Senior Research Scientist, Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Laura Hastings, Director, Global Studies, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Christina Michelmore, Chair, History Department, Chatham College
Bios for the above featured speakers

Media Monopoly
The New York Times has called the June 2nd FCC ruling for greater deregulation, "the most important changes to the nation's media ownership rules in a generation." How do these proposed rule changes impact communications law, the media business, and localism and diversity in music and public affairs? (June 23, 2003: 59:26)


Featured Speakers

Dr. Robert Bellamy, Professor of Communication, Duquesne University
Lynn Cullen, Award-winning TV/radio personality
John Haer, Executive Director, Pittsburgh AFTRA
Benjamin Perez, TV station owner; Board, Minority Media & Telecomm. Council
Frederick Polner, Communications attorney, former FCC counsel
Bios for the above featured speakers

The War on Drugs
More than two million Americans are in prison, largely due to "get tough" drug law enforcement. This "war" extends to U.S. military policy in South America. Is America winning or losing the "war on drugs"? Should we be re-evaluating our strategic options? (July 24, 2003: 58:49)

Featured Speakers

Carolina Belalcazar, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Jonathan Caulkins, Heinz School, Carnegie Mellon University
Daniel Kovalik, Esq., United Steel Workers of America
Khalid Raheem, CEO, National Council for Urban Peace and Justice
Bios for the above featured speakers

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation or Abolition? (57:38)
President Bush has called nuclear proliferation "the pre-eminent threat to international security." Does the present policy of nuclear deterrence inevitably lead toward nuclear proliferation? How would nuclear abolition be possible? (August 26, 2003: 57:38)

Featured Speakers

Dr. Schuyler Foerster, U.S. Defense Dept., Pittsburgh World Affairs Council
Dr. Gordon Mitchell, Professor of Communication, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Donald McNeill, Physicist, National Energy Technology Laboratory
Dr. Victor Sidel, Albert Einstein Medical College and
Co-founder, Physicians for Social Responsibility
Bios for the above featured speakers

The War on Terrorism: Security vs. Freedom
Examines the U.S. war on terrorism and, in particular, the U.S.A. Patriot Act and its proposed sequel---how it is being used by U.S. agencies of law enforcement and with what consequences for the civil liberties of our citizens, immigrants and visitors.
(September 25, 2003: 58:55)

Featured Speakers

Dr. Rebecca Denova, Professor, Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh
Barb Feige, Director, American Civil Liberties Union (Pittsburgh)
Dr. William Keller, Professor, International Security Studies, U. of Pittsburgh
John Parry, Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Saleh Waziruddin, Organizer, Islamic Center and Thomas Merton Center
Bios for the above featured speakers

Hate Crimes (59:46)
There are more than 700 hate groups active in the U.S. The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, National Alliance, and World Church of the Creator have been guilty of bombings, arson, shootings, beatings and other crimes against people of color, gays, and women. What can and is being done about it? (October 21, 2003:59:46)

Featured Speakers:

Lavera Brown, Executive Director, NAACP (Pittsburgh)
Billy Hileman, Community Activist, Publisher Planet Q
David Shtulman, Director, American Jewish Committee (Pittsburgh)
Ann M. Van Dyke, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Bios for the above featured speakers

Contact:

Dr. Jerry Starr, President, Pittsburgh Educational Television,
901 Old Hickory Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243; (p) 412-341-1967;
(f) 412-341-6533; jmstarr@adelphia.net; www.pittedtv.org

 

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