CONNECTIONS
JUN 2024 VOL. 12 NO. 6
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Peter Frid President & CEO
One of the benefits of working at New Hampshire PBS is our neighbors. Our studio is located at the edge of College Woods in Durham, and we’re frequently visited by deer, hawks, songbirds of all kinds, a chorus of bullfrogs in spring and an industrious groundhog we call Gavin, just to name a few.
As we film each game, amidst the controlled chaos of a television production involving scores of teenagers, we have the honor of getting to know each team and giving young scholars the chance to represent their schools. If you thought shouting the answers at your TV screen was fun, you should come join us in the control room. Getting to know our neighbors goes well beyond our studio. It takes a lot of work and planning to effectively venture into communities, but it allows us to capture the stories that make New Hampshire unique.
We may find these neighbors fascinating, but it’s you – our human neighbors in New Hampshire and beyond – that make NHPBS possible. Thoughout the year, your support is an integral part of strengthening our community. Because we’re local, because we’re part of this neighborhood, we’re invested in telling essential stories that inform and enrich the lives of our viewers.
This winter, we premiered OUR HOMETOWN: BERLIN, the eleventh installment in the OUR HOMETOWN series, and this spring, we’ve been in Plymouth interviewing residents for our next episode. Our goal is to visit all 238 New Hampshire cities and towns, collecting stories from the people who call each place home.
We’re only halfway through the year, but since your support allows us to operate outside the pressures of commercial television, we’ve been hard at work producing valuable programming that addresses complex issues that are often overlooked by other media outlets.
As I write this, the WINDOWS TO THE WILD crew is hard at work filming new episodes that are sure to inspire armchair adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Later this year, host Willem Lange will hit the trail for an incredible 19th season.
In January, we premiered a special episode of SENIORITY AUTHORITY that investigated the secrets to aging well and happily. We also aired two new entries in our COMMUNITIES & CONSEQUENCES series, spotlighting the unique housing challenges faced by cities and rural communities in the Granite State. We know that discussions about aging and housing can be tough, but they impact all of us. Because we’re viewer-supported, we can explore these issues in a thoughtful, easily-accessible format, making us all better armed to make smarter decisions.
Whenever we can, we try to to meet you in person and experience these wonderful programs together.
Your support also allows us to celebrate our neighbors and maintain traditions that have become part of the fabric of our state. Nowhere is this more apparent than on GRANITE STATE CHALLENGE. Producing this high school quiz show each year is a herculean endeavour, but one that we love.
If you’ve been enriched by NHPBS, consider making a gift today so we can continue making an impact in the second half of 2024. Scan this QR code with your phone or go to nhpbs.org/donate to support NHPBS today.
A recent screening of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s documentary GOSPEL at the Currier Museum of Art featured New England-based gospel singers so talented they had the audience on their feet and singing along. The evening was a moving illustration of how this uniquely American art form continues to thrive and provide inspiration today, as well as how NHPBS connects communities.
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