The Paley Center for Media Announces PBS AT 50: AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The Paley Center for Media today announced the latest selection to its Paley Front Row Presented by Citi series: PBS at Fifty: An Anniversary Celebration. This timely program saluting the iconic public television network is supported by Mrs. Jaqueline B. Mars, and will premiere on Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST on the Paley Center's dedicated channel on Yahoo Entertainment.

"For fifty years, PBS has provided viewers with valuable and educational television programming," said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center's President and CEO. "From Sesame Street to Masterpiece, and their award-winning documentary series, PBS has set the standard for excellence in television. We're honored to add this selection to our acclaimed Paley Front Row Presented by Citi series, and we're thrilled this program will premiere exclusively on our dedicated channel on Yahoo Entertainment."

"Over the past fifty years, PBS and our member stations have pioneered innovations in media that transformed communities and changed lives, and shared beloved programs, people and characters that are deeply woven into our culture," said Paula Kerger, PBS President and CEO. "While the media landscape has changed since PBS's founding, public television continues to serve as a beacon of thoughtful and thought-provoking media for millions of Americans. That mission is as important today as it was fifty years ago."

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was born out of a groundbreaking idea: that Americans deserve a free, easily accessible, non-commercial television service whose sole mission is to educate and inspire. Guided by that bold mission and fueled by more than 330 member stations rooted in communities across America, public television has left an indelible mark on our country.

Since 1970, PBS has been a critical and vital presence in American cultural life. With its unique mix of prestigious and thought-provoking content in news, the arts, science, politics, and children's programming, PBS has defined a level of quality and social responsibility in television. PBS's incredible list of iconic shows includes Sesame Street, Great Performances, American Masters, ¿Qué Pasa, USA?, American Experience, Frontline, Antiques Roadshow, Nova, Eyes on the Prize, and so many others.

The Paley Center welcomes some of its most respected talent for a discussion about the legacy and future of PBS and broadcasting in America, including Paula Kerger, PBS President and CEO; Ken Burns, filmmaker;

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., executive producer, host, and writer; and Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor, PBS NewsHour.

Paley Front Row Presented by Citi programs are the Paley Center's latest series of original programming featuring the stars and creative teams of cutting-edge, highly anticipated and established celebrated television shows discussing their work and offering insights and exclusive content.

Visit: paleycenter.org.