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KCPT President & CEO, Kliff Kuehl Recognized

KCPT President and CEO Kliff Kuehl has been recognized in KC Magazine as part of the first annual KC Magazine 100.

KCPT President and CEO Kliff Kuehl has been recognized in KC Magazine as part of the first annual KC Magazine 100. “The 100” features Kansas Citians who according to KC Magazine Executive Editor Katie Van Luchene, “put Kansas City on the map and make our city a great place in which to live and work.”

“We’re in good company,” says Kuehl, “It’s a real honor to be a part of a list of Kansas Citians that includes so many of the people and organizations that KCPT partners with on a daily basis for community projects and stories on our weekly local productions.

“Just look at the cover,” continues Kuehl, “names like Jane Chu, George Guastello, Julian Zugazagoitia, Crosby Kemper, these are people who are doing great things for our city and we’re proud to be working with them on projects like Meet the Past, Raise the Roof, Putting Down Roots and the new national PBS Arts special Homecoming, featuring the Kauffman Center and the Kansas City Symphony.

“This recognition is a real testament to the incredible work that the KCPT team does each day to make sure that we are truly using the power of public media to tell the stories and highlight the issues that Kansas Citians want to know.”

“The 100” is featured in KC Magazine’s April issue on newsstands now and also available online at kcmag.com.

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November-December 2011 Letter from KCPT’s CEO, Kliff Kuehl

Jim Lehrer - a great journalist! He will be missed. Also, please keep KCPT in mind for a year-end, tax deductible, philanthropic gift. Your support is what makes it possible for us to tell local stories and air those treasured national PBS programs.

We are lucky to be part of the PBS system where hard-hitting journalism has integrity and respect for its viewers.  When I (and most Americans) think of news integrity, the nightly newscast that stands out above the rest is the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.  We have been lucky to have Jim in Kansas City twice to host events.  During his most recent visit, he reminded us of his rules of journalism.  I think you will agree that Jim has followed these rules with the utmost professionalism.

  • Does nothing he cannot defend.
  • Does not distort, lie, slant or hype.
  • Does not falsify facts or make up quotes.
  • Covers, writes and presents every story with the care he would want if the story were about him.
  • Assumes there is at least one other side or version to every story.
  • Assumes the viewer is as smart and caring and good a person as he is.
  • Assumes the same about all people on whom he reports.
  • Assumes everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
  • Assumes personal lives are a private matter until a legitimate turn in the story mandates otherwise.
  • Carefully separates opinion and analysis from straight news stories and clearly labels it as such.
  • Does not use anonymous sources or blind quotes except on rare and monumental occasions.  No one should ever be allowed to attack another anonymously.
  • Does not broadcast profanity or the end result of violence unless it is an integral and necessary part of the story and/or crucial to its understanding.
  • Acknowledges that objectivity may be impossible but fairness never is.
  • Journalists who are reckless with facts and reputations should be disciplined by their employers.
  • His viewers have a right to know what principles guide his work and the process he uses in their practice.
  • He is not in the entertainment business.

Jim Lehrer has been a steadfast source of in-depth news coverage for 36 years, never compromising the way in which news is reported.  While many other news organizations use sound bites and sensationalism, Jim instead holds himself to these rules and takes his time to gather factual information and reports responsibly.  We are sad to see him retire but know that the NewsHour will always be the trusted source of news that we have come to depend on.

I would also like to remind you, as the end of the year approaches, to keep KCPT in mind for a tax deductible philanthropic gift.  Your support is what makes it possible for us to tell local stories through programs like Raise the Roof, a sneak peek at the Kauffman Center, The Local Show, Imagine KC, and those long standing, high quality, local shows like Kansas City Week in Review, and Ruckus.  A gift to KCPT not only benefits the station but the community as a whole by bringing attention to the arts, worthy organizations like Operation Breakthrough, local political coverage — and it brings you programs like the NewsHour.

One last exciting bit of news – KCPT has received eight regional EMMY nominations for:  (1) A Dendroid for KC, (2) The History of World War I; (3) KCPT SCREENtime – And What Remains, (4) Imagine KC, (5) Check Please! KC, (6) The Local Show, (7) The Local Show: Mental Health Special, and (8) Drink Smart.  We are proud not only that we are achieving our mission to explore this region but that our production team is recognized for their talents in making quality programming.

Thank you for your support and stay tuned for great new programming coming your way this fall.

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Kliff Kuehl
KCPT President and CEO

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September – October Letter from KCPT

It's been a great year...PBS programs have received 43 nominations for this year’s Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

What a great year for PBS!  I am pleased to report that PBS programs have received 43 nominations for this year’s Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.  This is the largest number of Primetime Emmy nominations our system has ever received, and more than twice the combined total of A&E, Bravo, Discovery, and the History channels.  Masterpiece programs led the way for PBS with a combined 25 nominations.  The 63rd annual Emmys will air September 18 so be sure to watch.

The PBS programs with multiple nominations include Downton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs, and Any Human Heart (all Masterpiece Classic); Sherlock: A Study In Pink (Masterpiece Mystery!); Freedom Riders (American Experience); and LennoNYC (American Masters).  Paula Kerger recently wrote to all PBS station CEOs noting that these award nominations are a welcome recognition of the steps PBS has taken to strengthen primetime content.

And there’s more good news.  PBS received 32 nominations for the 32nd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.  Programs with multiple nominations include POV, Frontline, Independent Lens, PBS NewsHour, Nature, and NOVA.  This brings PBS’ total Emmy nominations to 121 in the Daytime, Primetime, and News & Documentary categories – our highest ever!

PBS’ children’s programming has a stellar number of nominations as well – Eight Emmy nominations for Sesame Street and three for The Electric Company.

For you Masterpiece Classic fans, Downton Abbey returns with seven new episodes.  Created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey depicts the lives of the noble Crawley family and the staff who serve them.  Featuring an all-star cast, including Hugh Bonneville (Masterpiece Classic “Miss Austen Regrets”), Dame Maggie Smith (Harry Potter) and Elizabeth McGovern.  Tune in to watch these new episodes beginning Sunday, January 8, 2012.

Other PBS programs to watch for – America in Primetime, a four part documentary that explores the history and significance of primetime scripted programs like I Love Lucy, Sex in the City, Man of the House, Beverly Hillbillies, and many more; America Revealed, a four part series with breathtaking aerial and satellite imagery to examine America’s infrastructure from above; The Fabric of the Cosmos (four hours inside of NOVA), which is an exploration of space and time based on Brian Greene’s best-selling book of the same name; and, Prohibition, another great documentary from Ken Burns, which examines the social, cultural, and political forces that converged in the first two decades of the 20th century.

These award nominations underscore that PBS offers fantastic national content with diverse subject matters that both entertain and educate.  Congratulations to all those involved in these exceptional productions!

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Kliff Kuehl
KCPT President and CEO

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July – August Letter From KCPT

PBS and KCPT want to be your trusted guides – to help you explore new worlds, discover new ideas and broaden personal horizons – to be more.

PBS and KCPT want to be your trusted guides – to help you explore new worlds, discover new ideas and broaden personal horizons – to be more.

We are committed to our children, our culture, and our democracy. It’s more than just television – it’s more of a journey through life (a life of learning). We start by opening the eyes of children to our diverse and exciting world. Then, as they grow and mature, we teach them about extraordinary cultures, the state of our world, and arts and culture. We strive to be a direct line to the world, issues, and the arts through programs like Frontline, NOVA, American Experience, and Masterpiece (don’t miss Downton Abbey in January). Also, more great content from Ken Burns, like the upcoming documentary, Prohibition, is coming this fall.

We also want to be your hometown guide – to be a resource, to help you explore, be involved, and enjoy your community. Programs like The Local Show and Imagine KC focus on issues and venues in our community and shine a light on what our city has to offer (now and in the future); Check, Please! Kansas City is a great restaurant source. Visit our Check Please! site,, to watch episodes and find a list of featured restaurants; and programs like Celebration at the Station that celebrate our veterans and provide extraordinary live entertainment. We’ll have even more on-the-scene local content brought to you by our new mobile studio.

KCPT’s PBS KIDS Raising Readers is a national literacy campaign. It is focused on building reading skills at home, at school, in childcare and in the community. It develops engaging PBS KIDS programs, exciting games, playful Web sites, and easy-to-learn resources for kids, parents, caregivers and teachers — all with the goal of helping children ages 2-8 build the skills they need to learn to read, with a focus on the needs of children from low-income families. All content is built incorporating the latest research about the most effective ways to use media to help kids learn to read. Success in school begins from birth, and studies show that 50% of America’s 4th graders are failing in reading – if a child is not reading on grade level by 4th grade, they will never catch up.

And let’s talk about news and public affairs. KCPT is your guide with programs like Week in Review and Ruckus – Programs that give unique local coverage with diverse interaction and perspectives to give you the bigger picture. We want to be your guide to what’s going on in Kansas City to help you explore your own views and opinions.

Simply put, KCPT is your guide to help you do, see and be more.

As always, thank you for watching and for your support.

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Kliff Kuehl
KCPT President and CEO

 

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