SEPTEMBER 2023
A WORD FROM OUR CEO, JACK GIBSON
As we head into a new season, AZPM is preparing for a big project: We are building a new facility that will better support evolving broadcast technology and serve ever-changing community needs and interests. The price tag is big, and taxpayer funds can’t be used for this project. The good news is that it is already 80% funded by leading Southern Arizona philanthropists. Now it’s up to AZPM to raise the last 20%. This is where we need your help to make this facility a reality. Watch in the coming weeks for more information on how to help!
In addition, we are looking forward to our fall program lineup. Take a trip across North America and learn more than you thought possible with Native America and America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, and listen to AZPM’s many podcasts.
AZPM is proud to offer endless learning opportunities to those in our community, and we couldn’t do it without you. Your loyalty and support are greatly appreciated.
Spirit of a People, a Story of Resilience — The American Buffalo, a Film by Ken Burns
The American Buffalo is Ken Burns’ latest feature. A film four years in the making, Burns worked with Native advisors to create a biography of the improbable, shaggy beast that has found itself at the center of many of the country’s most mythic and heartbreaking tales.
The film will take viewers on a journey through more than 10,000 years of North American history across some of the country’s most iconic landscapes, tracing the mammal’s evolution, its significance to the Great Plains, and most importantly, its relationship to the Indigenous people of North America.
The American Buffalo is a powerful tribute to one of the most important and lesser-known facets of North America.
Premieres Monday, October 16, and Tuesday, October 17, at 8 p.m. on PBS 6. Watch this program live or stream with AZPM Passport.
Discover the Great Outdoors
Follow bestselling author and podcaster Baratunde Thurston everywhere from Utah to Florida on America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston. An outdoor enthusiast with a passion for sharing his love of nature with others, Thurston travels across the country in this six-part series to research the way nature plays a role in American culture and in our daily lives.
Thurston’s upcoming expedition will cover more regions of the country and focus on the link between the outdoors and health, how the outdoors can be made more accessible to everyone, and the variety of experiences you can have in the most unlikely outdoor spaces.
Airs Wednesdays, September 6–October 11, at 8 p.m. on PBS 6. Watch this program live or stream anytime with AZPM Passport.
America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston
AZPM Delivers Extensive News Coverage and an Intriguing List of Podcasts
Have you tuned in to an AZPM podcast? If not, there are plenty to choose from!
Check out More Than a Game and listen to some of the most incredible untold sports stories. On Season 2 of Tapped, learn about residents of the Southwest who have become accustomed to life in drought. Join in on a discussion about the greatest cinema of all time in Let’s All Go to the Lobby. See more at radio.azpm.org/podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Additionally, be sure to keep up with Tucson’s mayoral and city council races. The election will take place on November 7, 2023. Learn about candidates, where you can vote, and what this election means for our state. Check AZPM News coverage any time at news.azpm.org. Whether you’re into history, sports, or the arts, AZPM has a podcast for you.
A Culture Like No Other
In the new series Native America, four Native-directed hours reveal the beating heart of contemporary Indian Country and the extraordinary leaders who draw upon deep traditions to transform the modern world.
Over the course of four episodes, discover new worlds in the skies above with a Native American NASA engineer, learn of their warrior spirit, encounter the recovery and revitalization of tribal languages, and witness Indigenous women stepping into the political arena to rule.
Premieres Tuesday, October 24, at 9 p.m. on PBS 6.
Watch this program live or stream anytime with AZPM Passport.
Native America
Explore our One-of-a-Kind State on Arizona Illustrated and New Frontiers Spinoff
Arizona Illustrated returns with an all-new season after an exciting summer during which AZPM won six regional Edward R. Murrow awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association — more than any other PBS station received nationally. Five of the six were awarded to the long-standing local production Arizona Illustrated. AZPM was honored with awards in Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Excellence in Video; Feature Reporting; News Documentary; and Sports Reporting in Small Market Television and Small Market Radio.
Did you catch the debut episode of AZPM’s original series New Frontiers?
Explore the science, innovation, and discoveries happening at the University of Arizona that have global impacts. The series is hosted by Dr. Erika Hamden, Ph.D, professor of astrophysics. Check her out on Instagram at @erika.hamden!
Arizona Illustrated airs Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on PBS 6.
Episode 2 of New Frontiers airs this fall. Stream anytime with AZPM Passport.
One War, Five Countries, Unrelenting Impacts
Travel back in time and across the globe with Season 2 of MASTERPIECE: World on Fire. Society is in the midst of World War II, and the war’s resounding effects are being felt by people everywhere, from Britain to North Africa.
In the latest installment of the hit show, lone pilots are instructed to destroy German bombers flying over Manchester as rescue efforts commence in the city and the Northern Blitz begins. Viewers get an eye-opening glimpse of the realities of life in wartime — both in and out of combat.
Premieres Sunday, October 15, at 9 p.m. on PBS 6. Watch this program live or stream anytime with AZPM Passport.
World on Fire
Doc Martin
Martin Clunes Returns as Doc Martin
Return to scenic Portwenn for a new season of episodes that see Dr. Martin Ellingham’s career hanging in the balance as he faces scrutiny from the General Medical Council following complaints about his approach to patients.
Louisa has resigned from her job as headmistress at the local school to pursue a new career in child counseling.
Meanwhile, Al accidentally proposes to Morwenna, and Mrs. Tishell has a new lease on life. Bert, Aunt Ruth, and PC Joe Penhale also return.
Premieres Saturday, September 16, at 7 p.m. on PBS 6. Watch this program live or stream anytime with AZPM Passport.
From the Basement to The Bridges
For over 50 years, AZPM resided in the basement of UA’s Modern Languages Building. Today, AZPM is building a new state-of-the-art media facility on campus.
Designed as a public square, this will be in Tucson’s newest, most innovative mixed-use development: the University of Arizona Tech Park at The Bridges. It will be a convening place for public debates, presentations, screenings, and events.
While annual support is always appreciated, for those who can do more, please consider giving to our Bridging Communities Campaign. For more information, visit https://support.azpm.org/capitalcampaign/ or call Melissa Rios at (520) 848-4100.
Every contribution makes a difference.
Amplify your ongoing financial support to AZPM by making a special contribution that goes above and beyond your membership.
Your tax-deductible support ensures that AZPM can continue to be your source for news and entertainment now and in the months to come.
To ensure the future of television, radio, digital media, and educational services that change lives for the better, we need the ongoing support of members like you. One-time membership fees aren’t nearly enough to cover the rising costs of providing quality public media in Southern Arizona — we rely on additional gifts from caring friends like you.
To give today, simply click the “Donate Today” button to send your gift. If you prefer, you can also visit azpm.org/exchange to give online, or call (520) 621-1600.