HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED CHICAGO AND NEW YORK FEBRUARY 2013 CONCERTS ANNOUNCED

Public Television Concert Special Premieres Beginning December 2012 (check local listings)

February 19, 2013 Album Release

Over the course of the past three decades, Herbert Groenemeyer has established himself as Germany’s most successful recording artist of all time, with album sales surpassing 18 million copies, and two of his albums, 1984’s 4630 Bochum and 2002’s Mensch, becoming the biggest German-language releases in history. But for audiences in the United States — and, in fact, to the English-speaking world at large — his forthcoming album I Walk will be an introduction to an artist whose music is fervent, personal and passionate.

For this album, which will be released on February 19, 2013 on Groenland Deutschland/EMI Label Services, Groenemeyer has recorded some of the most impressive songs in his vast catalog in English, and written two new songs. On the album’s lead-off track, “Mensch,” Groenemeyer is joined on vocals by Bono, one of the special guests on the album, along with Antony Hegarty of Antony and The Johnsons on the dramatic “Will I Ever Learn” (“When he started singing, my skin went up,” Groenemeyer recalls) and guitarist James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers on “To The Sea.”

Coinciding with the February release of I Walk will be American concerts in New York and Chicago and a public television special will air in those markets. In December, Herbert Groenemeyer: I Walk premieres on New York’s WLIW21 on December 3 (9:30 p.m.) and again on December 8 (8:00 p.m.) and on Chicago’s WTTW11 on December 9 (8:00 p.m.). The special will air nationwide on public television in 2013 (airdates will be announced shortly), and is distributed by WLIW21 in association with WNET. Initially, tickets to Herbert’s concerts at the Chicago Theatre on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and The Beacon Theater in New York City on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 will be exclusive to WLIW 21 and WTTW11 viewers during the December 2012 pledge airings. On sale dates to the general public will be announced shortly.

As one writer put it, Herbert Groenemeyer is “the biggest selling artist you’ve never heard of.”  Before he embarked on a musical career, he was seen on film screens in the breakout German film Das Boot, and more recently (2007), he was in the Anton Corbijn film Control. In 2010, he wrote the evocative score for Corbijn’s arresting film The American starring George Clooney. But those intermittent appearances on the U.S. cultural radar are footnotes in the context of his musical career in Germany beginning with the 1984 release of 4630 Bochum. That album topped the German charts, quickly becoming the country’s third biggest-selling album of all time.

Over the course of the next fifteen years, his music became more political, addressing the Kohl government’s policies, and the impact from the fall of the Berlin Wall. 1993’s Chaos went to number one, and on his tour that year he played to well over a half-million fans. The next year, he became the first non-English-singing artist invited by MTV to do an Unplugged concert. Almost a decade later, in 2002, came his most successful release yet, Mensch, an album that without exaggeration could be called the Thriller of Germany, with advance orders well over platinum, and sales now exceeding three million copies, more than any album in the country’s history.  Groenemeyer regularly presents concert tours in stadiums in the German speaking territories and other European markets.

Working on an English-language album, Groenemeyer says, was less about dissatisfaction with his status outside the German-speaking world than about the challenge, the opportunity for self-discovery. “I have to find my own challenges,” he says. “This is one of those moments where I think, ‘OK, let’s try it.’ So let’s start here and see what happens. I try to reinvent what I’m doing in my limited way. And that’s the fun. That’s my joy. This is what I can do.”

About WNET

In 2012, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

The first ever biography to chronicle the life of singer, songwriter, business man, family man and civil rights activist, Sam Cooke whose timeless appeal transcends all barriers of race, faith, and talent.  Written by best selling author Peter Guralnick and narrated by Tony award winning actor, Jeffrey Wright; with 2 hours of additional interviews featuring Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Lloyd Price, Bobby Womack, Sam’s family and many others.  Features many of the artist’s hits woven throughout the narrative.

This new special presents the best performances from early 1960s musical variety series “Hootenanny,” featuring Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, the New Christy Minstrels, Jimmie Rodgers, Clara Ward Singers, Trini Lopez, Theodore Bikel, and many major voices in the folk music revival. Compiled by documentary filmmaker and musicologist Joe Lauro, who was responsible for unearthing the only surviving episodes of the original TV series, “Hootenanny” presents a cross section of the wonderful folk, country and gospel performances this legendary series brought into the living rooms of America.

Song List

Saturday Night (intro) – New Christy Minstrels

Green, Green –New Christy Minstrels

If I Had a Hammer – Trini Lopez

Good Morning Captain – The Travelers Three

Jesus Met the Woman at the Well – Ian & Sylvia

Anathea – Judy Collins

Follow the Drinking Gourd – Theodore Bikel

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – Clara Ward Gospel Singers

Busted – Johnny Cash

Five Feet High and Rising – Johnny Cash

Little Boxes – Leon Bibb

Pick a Bale of Cotton- The Tarriers

Wimoweh – The Tarriers

Midnight Special – Jimmie Rodgers

Kisses Sweeter Than Wine – Theodore Bikel & Judy Collins

To Morrow – Bob Gibson

Hard Travelin’ – The Brothers Four

Farewell My Honey, Cindy Jane – Joe & Eddie

One More Round – Hoyt Axton

Mighty Day – Chad Mitchell Trio

Mama Don’t Allow – Rooftop Singers

Rawhide – The Tarriers

Packin’ Up – Marion Williams & Stars of Faith

Kumbayah – Southern Methodist University Ensemble (over closing credits)

“Hootenanny” is a presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET.

90- & 60-minute versions. ST and CC. HD: 16:9 Full Frame. SD: 4:3 Full Frame. Rating: TVG. NOLA: HTNY. Rights: February 26, 2013 through March 31, 2014.

Airs nationwide beginning Tuesday, February 26 on public television (check local listings)

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is the legendary concert extravaganza that marked the last performance of the original line-up of “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. Under the big-top and dressed in outrageous circus garb, The Rolling Stones are joined by an all-star musical cast: Jethro Tull, The Who, Marianne Faithfull, Taj Mahal, Yoko Ono, and the ad-hoc, one-time only supergroup “The Dirty Mac” featuring John Lennon (guitar/vocals), Keith Richards (bass), Eric Clapton (guitar), fresh from his break-up with Cream, and Mitch Mitchell (drums) of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. First broadcast in 2007, the concert is back on public television stations beginning Tuesday, February 26, 2013 (check local listings) and is distributed nationwide by WLIW21 in association with WNET. In the New York metro area, it will air Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. on WLIW21.

With Mick Jagger as the show’s literal ringmaster, the unscripted, unapologetic mayhem yielded timeless musical moments, including the first-ever performance of Stones classic-to-be “You Can’t Always Get What You Want;” John Lennon’s first concert before an audience outside The Beatles; the only existing footage of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s short stint with Jethro Tull; The Who’s standout “A Quick One While He’s Away;” and The Dirty Mac’s rendition of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues.” The public television broadcast includes a 2004 interview with The Who’s Pete Townshend about the historical gathering.

Filmed December 11-12, 1968 and directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the pioneering music video director behind The Beatles’ Let It Be and many of the Rolling Stones’ seminal video clips, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was planned as a BBC special to promote the newly released Beggars Banquet but never aired. In fact, the footage, shot by award-winning cinematographer Tony Richmond (The Kids are Alright, The Man Who Fell to Earth), was lost for many years. Finally, in 1989, it was discovered in a trash bin at The Who’s vault in London. The film has been lovingly restored to preserve this unprecedented, one-of-a-kind event.

Song List:

Song for Jeffery – Jethro Tull

A Quick One While He’s Away – The Who

Ain’t That a Lot of Love – Taj Mahal

Something Better – Marianne Faithfull

Yer Blues – The Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell)

Whole Lotta Yoko – Yoko Ono & Ivry Gitlis with The Dirty Mac

Jumping Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones

No Expectations – The Rolling Stones

You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones

Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones

Salt of the Earth – The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones: Rock and Roll Circus is an ABKCO Film. A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET. John Servidio is executive in charge of production for WLIW21 in association with WNET.

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About WNET

In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

About ABKCO

Founded over 50 years ago by Allen Klein, ABKCO Music & Records is one of the world’s leading independent entertainment companies.  It is home to iconic catalog assets that include compositions and recordings by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway masters by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Clint Eastwood, The Orlons, The Dovells, ? & The Mysterians, The Tymes and Dee Dee Sharp. Soundtrack releases include David Chase’s Not Fade Away, the international blockbuster Fast Five, Our Idiot Brother, Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Wes Anderson’s 2013 Academy Award® nominated Moonrise Kingdom, The Darjeeling Limited and the 2010 Academy Award® nominated Fantastic Mr. Fox, the director’s first animated feature based on Roald Dahl’s book, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Men Who Stare At Goats and the soundtrack to the first season of the hit Showtime® series, Californication. ABKCO is active on many fronts including the release of critically lauded compilations and reissues from its catalog, film and commercial placement of its master recordings and music publishing properties in all media.  ABKCO is at the forefront of new technologies in the entertainment field and is in active development of several multi-platform projects, theatrical productions and innovative educational tools to ensure its catalog is enjoyed by generations of fans for years to come.  ABKCO Films latest release is The Rolling Stones Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965. It has been involved with many successful movies including The Greek Tycoon starring Anthony Quinn and Jacqueline Bisset, La Grande Bouffe winner of the International Critics prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and The Concert for Bangladesh featuring Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr.  Renowned cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain, fully restored and remastered to HD, were shown at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (Classics section) and at the prestigious 44th New York Film Festival. In 2003 ABKCO won a Grammy for the DVD release of Sam Cooke – Legend and the following year released the DVD of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus to universal acclaim. Films in pre-production include a restoration of the Spaghetti Western Blindman starring Ringo Starr and a biopic on the life of Sam Cooke.  www.abkco.com

Premieres nationwide beginning Tuesday, February 26 on public television (check local listings)

The Rolling Stones’ first concerts at Madison Square Garden on November 27 & 28, 1969, rank amongst the greatest live rock and roll performances ever. Premiering nationwide beginning Tuesday, February 26 on public television (check local listings), the new performance documentary The Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! captures “The Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band in the World” playing on “The World’s Greatest Stage,” over that historic Thanksgiving weekend.

Albert and David Maysles famously documented the Rolling Stones’ 1969 U.S. tour in their film Gimme Shelter. ABKCO Films along with Albert Maysles has put together never-before-seen footage that shows the band — Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Mick Taylor, and Bill Wyman — at its apogee, wowing New York audiences in their first Madison Square Garden shows.

The film includes newly discovered versions of five previously unreleased Stones performances — “Prodigal Son,” “You Gotta Move,” “Under My Thumb,” “I’m Free,” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” — and extraordinary backstage gems like Keith Richards, Mick Taylor and Jimi Hendrix sharing a musical moment, and Janis Joplin grooving to the Stones’ performance from the side of the stage.

The Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! makes its New York metro area premiere on Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. on WLIW21. This broadcast will feature a special appearance by legendary filmmaker Albert Maysles, who will share his first-hand experience of the tour.

The Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! is an ABKCO Film. A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET. John Servidio is executive in charge of production for WLIW21 in association with WNET.

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About WNET

In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

About ABKCO

Founded over 50 years ago by Allen Klein, ABKCO Music & Records is one of the world’s leading independent entertainment companies.  It is home to iconic catalog assets that include compositions and recordings by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway masters by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Clint Eastwood, The Orlons, The Dovells, ? & The Mysterians, The Tymes and Dee Dee Sharp. Soundtrack releases include David Chase’s Not Fade Away, the international blockbuster Fast Five, Our Idiot Brother, Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Wes Anderson’s 2013 Academy Award® nominated Moonrise Kingdom, The Darjeeling Limited and the 2010 Academy Award® nominated Fantastic Mr. Fox, the director’s first animated feature based on Roald Dahl’s book, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Men Who Stare At Goats and the soundtrack to the first season of the hit Showtime® series, Californication. ABKCO is active on many fronts including the release of critically lauded compilations and reissues from its catalog, film and commercial placement of its master recordings and music publishing properties in all media.  ABKCO is at the forefront of new technologies in the entertainment field and is in active development of several multi-platform projects, theatrical productions and innovative educational tools to ensure its catalog is enjoyed by generations of fans for years to come.  ABKCO Films latest release is The Rolling Stones Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965. It has been involved with many successful movies including The Greek Tycoon starring Anthony Quinn and Jacqueline Bisset, La Grande Bouffe winner of the International Critics prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and The Concert for Bangladesh featuring Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr.  Renowned cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain, fully restored and remastered to HD, were shown at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (Classics section) and at the prestigious 44th New York Film Festival. In 2003 ABKCO won a Grammy for the DVD release of Sam Cooke – Legend and the following year released the DVD of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus to universal acclaim. Films in pre-production include a restoration of the Spaghetti Western Blindman starring Ringo Starr and a biopic on the life of Sam Cooke.  www.abkco.com

Exclusive public television version of acclaimed documentary premieres nationwide beginning Tuesday, February 26 on public television (check local listings)

The Grammy® Award-winners “Everybody’s Talkin’” and “Without You”…the quirky “Coconut” (“Put de lime in de coconut…”)…the whimsical “Me and My Arrow,” and the poignant “One” (“…is the loneliest number”)…all are the work of one man, Harry Nilsson. For the first time, television viewers can discover the story of one of the most talented and uncompromising singer-songwriters in pop music history in the U.S. broadcast premiere of Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?, premiering nationwide beginning Tuesday, February 26 on public television (check local listings). In the New York metro area, the documentary premieres Saturday, March 2 at 10:30 p.m. on THIRTEEN and Saturday, March 23 at 10 p.m. on WLIW21.

This definitive portrait of a remarkable artist reveals a complex and contradictory personal life: the legendary bad boy party animal who was at the same time a devoted husband and father. Documentary filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon) brings added emotion and intimacy to the story with more than 50 Nilsson recordings, interview clips, rare or never-before-seen film clips, home movies, and personal photos. The documentary also reveals Nilsson’s spirited relationship with John Lennon and close bond with Ringo Starr, which made him in some ways the “fifth Beatle,” and includes compelling interviews with top music and movie personalities who knew Harry well, including former Monkee Micky Dolenz, Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle, Al Kooper (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Yoko Ono, Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks, The Smothers Brothers, Nilsson’s songwriting contemporaries Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb and Paul Williams, actor Robin Williams (Nilsson composed the score for Robin’s first film, Popeye), and Brian Wilson, as well as his record producer, wife and children. As his friend Micky Dolenz describes in the documentary, Nilsson “accomplished more than most other people, writers, singers…will ever accomplish in their lifetime…in 10 lifetimes,” and friend and fellow songwriter Jimmy Webb says, “There’s nothing like [his songs].”

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? was released theatrically Fall 2010, and premiered internationally the year after. Scheinfeld and his team created an alternate ending for this exclusive public television version distributed nationwide by WLIW21 in association with WNET. For 50 years, WNET has been making the most of the rich resources and passionate people of New York and the world, reaching millions of people with on-air and online programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites students of all ages to have fun while learning.

The public television version of Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? is produced by Crew Neck Productions and Authorized Pictures. A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET. John Servidio is executive in charge of production for WLIW21 in association with WNET.

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About WNET
In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

Half-hour program, hosted by Emmy-winning Jim Paymar, investigates local matters including revitalizing downtowns, Long Island women in business, affordable housing, healthcare, and Long Island non-profit, among others

WLIW21 continues its commitment to presenting the issues most important to the Long Island community with Long Island Business Report premiering on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The weekly half-hour program airs Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., Thursdays at 11:30 p.m., and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on WLIW21, and will be available to viewers online on WLIW21 Video after the broadcast.

Taped at Molloy College, the program provides an in-depth look at what needs to be done to make Long Island a more dynamic place to live and work by exploring the economic and business trends that impact the people of Nassau and Suffolk counties. Each week Emmy-winning journalist Jim Paymar interviews area business leaders and industry experts, discussing what is driving the economy and what is expected of Long Island going forward.

“I have lived on Long Island for more than twenty years and share the same concerns as my neighbors,” says Paymar. “The Long Island Business Report addresses crucial issues that directly impact the nearly three million residents who call Long Island home. We bring together top industry and government leaders, educators and entrepreneurs to discuss areas of concern to keep Long Island competitive and growing. In the recent aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and its devastating impact on businesses and residential neighborhoods, it’s important we provide a forum for ideas and solutions to ensure that Long Island continues to thrive.”

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Long Island Business Report to WLIW21’s roster,” says John Servidio, Executive-in-Charge of Production. “The series is another prime example of the WLIW21’s continued commitment of service to the Long Island community, while further enriching the station’s programming.”

The premiere episode spotlights Mark Lesko, executive director of the Accelerate Long Island project, and Mark Fasciano, entrepreneur and managing director of Canrock Ventures, as they discuss the next generation of business on Long Island.

The premiere season of Long Island Business Report explores such subjects as downtown revitalization, public affairs, aerospace and defense manufacturing, women in business, regional planning, healthcare, affordable housing, and local non-profits. Scheduled guests in future weeks include Suffolk County Planning Commission’s David Calone; Long Island Regional Planning Council Chairman John Cameron; North Shore-LIJ Health System President Michael J. Dowling; Island Harvest President and CEO Randi Dresner; Women Economic Developers President Donna Hayes; Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos; Renaissance Downtowns CEO Don Monti; GSE Dynamics President Anne Shybunko-Moore; and Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri; among others.

Long Island Business Report is a production of Paymar Communications Group and WLIW21 in association with WNET.

WNET is the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, New York’s public television stations and operator of NJTV. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local documentaries and other programs for the New York community.

Long Island Business Report is made possible by Charlotte and David Ackert and The Rauch Foundation.

Jim Paymar is Executive Producer and Anchor. Producer is Ally Gimbel. Associate Producer is Liz Muentes. Executive-in-Charge of Production is John Servidio.

Download the May 2012 press release

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About WNET
In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and the operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and, MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

Hosted by Rafael Pi Roman, the film recounts the untimely demise and rebuilding of a landmark that took 32 years, 25 million dollars, 5 architects and 11 state governors to create

Atop a hill, overlooking the Hudson River in Albany, stands the New York State Capitol building, hailed an architectural masterpiece when it was originally completed in 1899. It took 32 years to build the ornate structure, an eclectic mixture of Gothic revival, Romanesque and Moorish influences, but only about an hour for flames to severely damage the so-called “fireproof” seat of state government 12 years later.

Treasures of New York: The New York State Capitol delves into the controversy surrounding the Capitol’s initial construction, theories of the fire’s origins, its re-building, and more recent work to repair its complex of roofs and restore a massive skylight. Originally broadcast by WMHT, this updated production, hosted by Rafael Pi Roman, airs Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. on WLIW21 and Monday, December 10, 2012 at 10 p.m. on THIRTEEN.

After broadcast, the film will be available to national audiences at thirteen.org/treasures-of-ny. The Web site offers past episodes and conversations with visionaries behind New York’s greatest institutions.

Using archival images, dramatic reenactments, graphics, and interviews, this hour-long documentary explains that, given New York’s ranking at the start of the Gilded Age as the country’s wealthiest state, its state capitol needed to be unique. “They were making a statement,” Capitol architect James Jamieson relates, “They were really trying to build a monument and testament to the power and energy that was New York State. It was to be a monument of culture and of architecture and of art and of design.”

Architect Thomas Fuller, who submitted the winning design in the state’s competition, promised he would get the job done in four years for four million, but 10 years and 10 million later, only the first two floors had been erected. Following an investigation by New York City architects, Leopold Eidlitz and Henry Hobson Richardson, Fuller was replaced by his two investigators.

Most notable in their design was organizing the structure around a vast central courtyard with three majestic staircases providing light and air deep into the building’s interior. Above the great western staircase, the largest of the three modeled after the grand staircase of the Paris Opera, was a massive skylight.

Besides the Senate and Assembly, the NY State Museum and NY State Library were also housed in the now overcrowded Capitol on that fateful night of March 29, 1911 when a fire broke out in the Assembly Library. Although defective wiring was cited as the cause, others blame legislators who gathered in the library, also known as the “booze room,” that night and may have dropped a lighted match into a wastebasket or onto an alcohol-soaked carpet. But the Capitol was rebuilt, fire codes established, and to this day, work continues conserving historic documents damaged in the fire.

In 2000, yet another overdue project, replacement of the chronic leaking roof, got underway as the entire decorative, ornamental terracotta tile was removed and reproduced in keeping with a national historic landmark. But it was the restoration of the magnificent skylight, removed in the 1960s, that made the most dramatic interior change to the Capitol as daylight once again illuminates the great western staircase.

The New York State Capitol is a production of WLIW21 in association with WMHT, Albany and WNET, the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, New York’s public television stations and the operator of NJTV.  “The New York State Capitol” is written, directed & produced by Daniel Swinton and Steve Dunn. Executive producers are Paul Hoagland and Marianne Potter.

Treasures of New York: The New York State Capitol is executive produced by Mary Lockhart.  Diane Masciale is executive producer of the Treasures of New York series and local programming. Executive-in-Charge of Production is John Servidio.

Treasures of New York explores New York’s cultural heritage by spotlighting its points of interest, distinguished establishments and notable figures.  The series is generously funded by Metropolitan Media Fund. Additional funding for this program is provided by The Bender Family Foundation; AIA, New York State Inc.; Titan Roofing Incorporated; Monaco Restorations Inc.; Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.; New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association; NY Civil Service Employees Association; and TD Bank.

For 50 years, THIRTEEN has been making the most of the rich resources and passionate people of New York and the world, reaching millions of people with on-air and online programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites students of all ages to have fun while learning.

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About WNET
In 2012, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and the operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and, MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

The award-winning public television series Healthy Minds aims to remove the stigma of mental illness by bringing viewers a better understanding of disorders that can affect anyone, at any age.

A new season of Healthy Minds premieres on public television stations across the country beginning January 2013 (check local listings).   The series is distributed nationally by WLIW21.

Guests in the second national season of Healthy Minds include some of the biggest names and topical issues making news in mental health today, including former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and his organization, One Mind for Research; former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen (U.S. Navy Ret.) and former Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colonel David Sutherland (U.S. Army Ret.); Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Kandel; and Barbara Van Dahlen Ph.D., founder and president of the national non-profit Give an Hour, named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2012; along with some of the nation’s top researchers, care providers, and patients living successfully with mental illness.

Covering a range of topics including military mental wellness, mental health in the criminal justice system, and the latest research and treatment updates on eating disorders, schizophrenia and personality disorders, Healthy Minds speaks from the cutting edge of psychiatry, giving viewers an insider’s look at mental health in layman’s terms.  Candid discussion removes the barriers that too often prevent individuals suffering from a mental illness to seek the care they need.

Series host Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, a board certified psychiatrist and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry of Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, returns for the new season.

As Dr. Borenstein explains, “Everyone is touched by psychiatric conditions, either themselves or a loved one.  In the new episodes of Healthy Minds, we continue to share cutting-edge information from experts along with personal experiences from people who have overcome psychiatric conditions.  Now more than ever, it is important to reduce stigma and encourage people who have a psychiatric condition not to suffer in silence but to seek help.  We are especially proud of our mini-series on military mental illness, examining the issues of post traumatic stress, depression and suicide prevention.  I want people to know that with help, there is hope.”

John Servidio, general manager for WLIW and NJTV adds, “Healthy Minds speaks to the core mission at the heart of public broadcasting – using media to inform, enlighten, and inspire – as we utilize the power of television to help those who need it most.   We are thrilled to once again bring this free resource to viewers nationwide.”

The premiere episode exemplifies the series’ outlook on the importance of mental health in our daily lives, as former Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Galen Staglan of One Mind for Research describe their modern-day “moon shot,” modeled on Kennedy’s uncle John F. Kennedy’s call for a national effort and collaboration.   As they embark on a new frontier of brain research into “inner space,” Kennedy and Staglan describe a 10-year plan inspired by the suicide rate of returning soldiers as their “Sputnik” and the next “giant step for mankind” a cure for all brain disease.

Episodes premiere as follows (check local listings; DOWNLOAD THE SEASON 3 EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS):

301: MOONSHOT: The Next Frontier — One Mind for Research

302: Military Mental Wellness, Part One: Service, Resilience and Dedication to Our Warriors

303: Military Mental Wellness, Part Two: The Invisible Injuries of War and Post Traumatic Stress

304: Military Mental Wellness, Part Three: Serving Those Who Serve and Their Families

305: Suicide Prevention

306: Eating Disorders

307: Schizophrenia: How Far We’ve Come

308: Personality Styles, Traits and Disorders

309: Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System

310: Psychiatry & Cutting Edge Research

311: Integration of Mental and Physical Health Care

312: Brain Research: The New Science of the Mind and Brain

313: Psychiatric Care: How to Get the Care You Need

Healthy Minds is a production of WLIW21 for WNET New York Public Media.  Producer: Mary Puma.  Funding provided by: The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD), American Psychiatric Foundation, New York Academy of Medicine, van Ameringen Foundation, New York State Office of Mental Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).   For WLIW21, John Servidio is executive in charge of production in association with WNET New York Public Media.

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About WNET
In 2012, WNET is celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region.

Download the episode 301 & 302 Press Release

Download the episode 303 Press Release

Download the episode 304 Press Release

Download the episode 305 Press Release

Download the episode 307 Press Release