This month, our Community Stories campaign highlights Chinese American, Wellington Z. Chen. Here, he discusses how he started studying architecture and the diversity of New York City.

Learn more about the campaign and view previous videos here.

In collaboration with The Real Deal, Treasures of New York: Building Stories reveals the private life and the creative process of Costas Kondylis, an architect who has arguably done more to directly influence the city’s skyline than any other person currently active in New York — business tycoons, major developers and mayors included. The film follows Kondylis’ career and shows the battle between artistic expression and the bottom line, and gives a critical examination of what it takes to design a building and gain its approval in the high-powered world of New York City real estate.

The film features development moguls Donald Trump, Larry Silverstein, and Aby Rosen; founding editor of Dwell magazine, Karrie Jacobs; architecture critics and historians, James Gardner, Francis Morrone, and Kenneth Frampton; and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier.

Building Stories is produced by Amir Korangy, directed by Toni Comas, and written by Stuart Elliott of The Real Deal magazine.

Treasures of New York: Building Stories premieres Wednesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. on WLIW21 and Sunday, May 6 at 7 p.m. on THIRTEEN.

This year, WNET and PBS producers are finalists for five Webby Awards – the most prestigious award in interactive media, honoring outstanding websites, interactive advertising, online film & video, and mobile & apps.

The nominees, announced today by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, were chosen from nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 states.

Have a favorite web site or app that you think is deserving of a Webby? Place your vote with The Webby People’s Voice Awards!

WNET received nominations for:

PBS Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly: Best Websites – Religion & Spirituality Category

Women, War and Peace Documentary Shorts: Online Film & Video – Documentary Series Category

Beyond WNET, PBS also received nominations for:

pbskids.org: Best Youth web site; other nominees include Sesame Street, Muppets and National Geographic.

pbs.tv: Best Television web site; other nominees include Hulu and HBO Connect.

PBS for iPad: Best tablet (Entertainment category); other nominees include HBO GO and The Onion.

In addition to Webby nominations, the PBS Kids Video App and PBS Arts: Off Book were each designated as an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards.

Congratulations to all of our nominees for their outstanding work!

Paula Zahn hosts this behind-the-scenes look inside Hearst’s innovative headquarters with Hearst CEO Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Architect Lord Norman Foster, and Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles.

For more information about the Hearst Tower and for past episodes and exclusive content, visit the Treasures of New York site.

This March, Treasures of New York takes viewers on a private tour of Hearst Tower, the Hearst Corporation’s world headquarters, located on Eighth Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan. Timed with Hearst Corporation’s 125th anniversary, the film also highlights Hearst’s history and growth into one of America’s largest media and information companies.

Treasures of New York: Hearst Tower premieres Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. on WLIW21.

This month, our Community Stories campaign highlights Palestinian American, Jumana Bishara. Here, she discusses the importance of language and food in Palestinian culture, and how her mother’s restaurant is preserving their family’s culinary traditions.

Learn more about the campaign and view previous videos here.

On Saturday, Live from the Artists Den hosts Kid Rock at Graceland, rock and roll’s greatest landmark, in Memphis. The concert features Rock’s breakthrough songs like “Cowboy,” as well as recent hits “Born Free” and “Care.”

Live from the Artists Den featuring Kid Rock airs Friday, February 24 at 10 p.m. on WLIW21.

Watch a clip from the episode, and view the full song list below:

Song List:

“God Bless Saturday”
“Slow My Roll”
“Purple Sky”
“What I Learned Out On The Road”
“Cowboy/Lay It On Me”
“Bawitdaba”
“All Summer Long”
“Rock N Roll Jesus/Burning Love”
“Only God Knows Why”
“Born Free”

WLIW’s number one fan and my dear friend, Vincent McArdle, passed on Valentine’s Day at about 5 p.m.

He was a longtime supporter of WLIW. After a devastating car accident, he was paralyzed and in a wheel chair at age 44. He started calling me weekly soon after that. I had just started at WLIW in the “public information department.” He would call under the pretense of asking what was going to be on Mystery! the following week. From there we would talk about the rest of the schedule and what shows he liked to watch. Eventually our conversations turned to more varied topics.

Vincent demonstrated to me the true value of public television. This once vibrant man, now home-bound, had as his only window to the world, WLIW, public television. It kept his interest piqued and his heart beating. He actually inspired me to institute the senior and disability discount back then because he so wanted to send support but was limited in what he could donate. He was a huge music fan and British programming fan, and WLIW was a place for him to find both easily and consistently.

For a few of his rare trips out, I was able to get him backstage to meet Andre Rieu and another time, Ronan Tynan of The Irish Tenors. Ronan became a personal friend of his as well. Vincent was also able to make it to my wedding — this meant so much because I know how difficult it was for him to get around.

Vincent became one of my inner circle. Our regular phone conversations about life inside and outside of public television kept us close. He always watched out for me — another hobby of his was to listen to the police and fire radios. He would call me when I lived on West 70th Street. “Laura, where are you?!  There is a fire on West 69th, be careful.” “Good, you are still in the office. There is some trouble up on the West Side. Stay there until I call I give you the all clear.” The most impressive thing about Vincent is that he never, ever complained about the difficult life of pain and inconvenience that he led. He only shared stories and opinions and laughs and made sure his friends were all okay.

Vincent McArdle was the bravest man I ever met. When I told him that, he demurred. He was brave AND humble. The world has lost one of its kindest souls and one of public television’s biggest fans. I am so honored that WLIW and I could give him some moments of joy.

Laura Savini
WLIW Host/Untamed Hair Productions

This week, Live from the Artists Den features indie rock favorite, Death Cab for Cutie, performing from The Brooklyn Museum in New York City. The concert features songs from their new release, Codes and Keys, along with past hits like “I Will Possess Your Heart.”

Live from the Artists Den featuring Death Cab for Cutie airs Saturday, February 18 at 10 p.m. on WLIW21.

Watch a video featurette about the episode and check out the full song list below:

Song list:

“Crooked Teeth”
“Long Division”
“I Will Possess Your Heart”
“Tourist”
“The New Year”
“Stay Young, Go Dancing”
“Cath…”
“Marching Bands of Manhattan”
“Home is a Fire”
“Transatlanticism”

Alexander Clark: Lost in History is a documentary profiling Alexander Clark, who brought about school desegregation in Iowa’s schools more than 85 years before the rest of the nation.

Watch the full program here: