http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/ombudsman/ en Copyright 2014 Fri, 14 Feb 2014 17:27:21 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/ombudsman/images/pbslogo-rss.gif http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/ombudsman/ Hold the presses, if there are any of them left operating. Late this afternoon, just after this column was written, member-station WNET in New York and PBS issued a statement resolving the controversy that is discussed below. The joint statement... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/02/tensions_over_pensions_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/02/tensions_over_pensions_1.html Fri, 14 Feb 2014 17:27:21 -0500 Today's ombudsman's mailbag is a brief follow-up to the last one that was devoted to what I described as "a pre-emptive strike" by critics of some individuals slated to be profiled in six new one-hour documentaries that will be part... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/02/the_mailbag_more_on_makers_and_other_stuff_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/02/the_mailbag_more_on_makers_and_other_stuff_1.html Wed, 12 Feb 2014 16:14:14 -0500 When you make an announcement before a group of reporters at the semi-annual Television Critics Association conference, you are likely to get some publicity. Among the announcements made by PBS at this year's gathering in Pasadena was news that six... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_preemptive_strike_on_more_maker.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_preemptive_strike_on_more_maker.html Thu, 23 Jan 2014 16:10:37 -0500 This edition of the mailbag contains just one letter. It is a response from Bill Moyers to the Ombudsman's Column posted on Jan. 9. That column dealt with a couple of issues surrounding the Jan. 3 presentation of the weekly... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_letter_from_bill_moyers_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_letter_from_bill_moyers_1.html Wed, 22 Jan 2014 09:50:03 -0500 http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_lot_more_on_downton_a_little_mo_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_lot_more_on_downton_a_little_mo_1.html Wed, 15 Jan 2014 12:42:02 -0500 Despite on-screen warnings by PBS at the beginning of last Sunday's edition of Downton Abbey that the segment was rated TV-14 and "The following drama contains scenes which may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised," many... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_downton_downer_and_other_things.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/the_mailbag_a_downton_downer_and_other_things.html Mon, 13 Jan 2014 14:51:56 -0500 The powers that be at PBS were dancing in the aisles earlier this week (I didn't really see this but it was undoubtedly in the minimum-physical-contact, please; we're British style) when it was reported that the season four debut of... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/over_the_air_or_off_the_air.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2014/01/over_the_air_or_off_the_air.html Thu, 09 Jan 2014 15:53:30 -0500 http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/12/different_strokes_from_different_folks_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/12/different_strokes_from_different_folks_1.html Thu, 19 Dec 2013 16:19:19 -0500 The leader of North Korea had his uncle executed and a mentally-unbalanced sign-language fraud managed to stand next to President Obama in South Africa, but it's been relatively quiet these past two weeks for the ombudsman; no big controversies and... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/12/the_mailbag_the_holiday_spirit_is_on_hold.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/12/the_mailbag_the_holiday_spirit_is_on_hold.html Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:58:08 -0500 The ombudsman's mailbag has become quite stuffed in the past week or two, and in the past few days in particular, because of lots of email from people upset about a short video offering from PBS Digital Studios that was... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/11/the_mailbag_byebye_bobbleheads_and_lots_of_ot.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/11/the_mailbag_byebye_bobbleheads_and_lots_of_ot.html Thu, 21 Nov 2013 14:57:52 -0500 The headline above is my edited version of the title of a PBS Digital Studios production of "A Very Special Thanksgiving Special/It's Okay to be Smart." The idea, its webpage states, is to "be thankful for everything science has given... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/11/its_not_okay_to_be_not_smart.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/11/its_not_okay_to_be_not_smart.html Tue, 19 Nov 2013 16:20:15 -0500 Last week's column dealt with a documentary aired on Oct. 29 as part of the PBS "American Experience" series. The hour-long program marked the 75th anniversary of the famous 1938 CBS radio broadcast of the Orson Welles dramatization of a... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/11/more_words_about_war_of_the_worlds_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/11/more_words_about_war_of_the_worlds_1.html Fri, 08 Nov 2013 16:21:37 -0500 Sometimes, when journalists talk among themselves about stories they have read, the phrase "burying the lead" comes into the discussion. What is meant by that is a story that has important information way down inside the text, rather than at... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/10/war_of_the_words.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/10/war_of_the_words.html Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:30:51 -0500 http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/10/muhammad_on_pbs_was_it_good_for_the_jews_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/10/muhammad_on_pbs_was_it_good_for_the_jews_1.html Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:37:09 -0500 The ombudsman's mailbox continues to receive a modest but steady stream of complaints from viewers about those small but obvious promotional blurbs that "pop up" on your TV screen every once in a while during a favorite program to remind... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/10/the_mailbag_some_viewers_want_to_give_pbs_a_p_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2013/10/the_mailbag_some_viewers_want_to_give_pbs_a_p_1.html Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:32:40 -0500