WNET and WLIW World TV Stations Serve Students During Coronavirus Crisis

WNET station WLIW World is shifting its lineup to better serve homebound students during the Coronavirus crisis. This is the first step in a wider effort to make instructional and educational content available to students throughout New York State and beyond. Beginning this week, content is focusing on Literature, History, Science, and the Arts, drawing from WNET’s vast archive of PBS- and locally-produced content. Most programs offered will have accompanying learning resources available on PBS Learning Media.

From 12–5pm each day, WLIW World is offering a locally-curated lineup to students, featuring high-quality PBS content that is aligned with students’ classroom curricula.

“We understand how difficult it is for students to lose momentum in their schooling, especially those in middle- and high school who are preparing for statewide exams, college admissions tests and looking to advance their understanding of the world,” said Susie Hernandez, WNET’s Senior Director of Programming. “Who better than your local PBS stations to help fill that gap for free on broadcast, where the content is accessible to all.”

A sample of the programming: at 1pm each day, Nature or Nova has begun providing engaging and fascinating science content. That will be followed by episodes of the Great American Read, which will focus on great American literature. Documentaries about dictators who impacted world history, and the series Jazz by Ken Burns, air in the 2pm and 3pm slots, respectively. The 4pm hour is dedicated to arts and culture programming.

WNET station WLIW21 will also adjust its programming starting March 30, offering content aligned to the elementary curriculum. WLIW is joining forces with New York State’s PBS stations to acquire instructional content that will align with statewide curriculum guidelines.

“This is an evolving effort,” added Hernandez. “We know there’s a need and we know we can play a part in serving our community. So, we are on it.”

WLIW World Channels:

· Spectrum 1278

· Comcast (Long Hill) 135, (Carmel, Heritage Hills) 244, (Jersey City, Meadowlands, Union) 267

· Cablevision 132

· Verizon FiOS 473

As of March 30, WNET expanded its K-12 At Home Learning resources for the New York metro area with new programming schedules on its stations WLIW21 and WLIW WORLD to better serve families who are homebound during the COVID-19 pandemic. WLIW21 is pre-empting its regular programming from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for this special community effort. The updated WLIW WORLD schedule details WORLD’s national daily, five-hour At Home Learning block for students in grades 6–12. These daily, free over-the-air broadcasts focus on all major school subjects, drawing from WNET’s vast archive of PBS and locally produced content. Programs offered have accompanying resources for educators and families available on wnet.org/education, including related learning assets from PBS LearningMedia, a free online service of thousands of educational resources.

WLIW21’s new K-12 educational lineup, “WLIW21 At Home Learning,” Monday-Friday from 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m., features:

· 6:30–9 a.m.: children’s programming from PBS KIDS, including Wild Kratts, Molly of Denali, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Arthur, and WNET’s Cyberchase

· 9–11:30 a.m.: math, science and fitness, including WCNY’s TV classroom series and PBS KIDS’ SciGirls

· 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: a virtual class field trip featuring WLIW21’s own Treasure of New York series and other public television favorites that visit museums and historical sites

· 12–1 p.m.: Regents Review

· 1–3 p.m.: humanities, social studies, ELA (English Language Arts) and culture from acclaimed PBS series, including Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. about genealogy, WNET documentary series American Masters, the award-winning biography series celebrating our arts and culture; Secrets of the Dead, which explores iconic moments in history to debunk myths and shed new light on past events; Shakespeare Uncovered, which reveals the fascinating history behind Shakespeare’s greatest plays; and more

· 3–4 p.m.: news literacy/media studies from WLIW21’s public affairs series Amanpour and Company

PBS Learning Media

WNET has also curated a list of free lessons and activities from WNET, PBS Learning Media, and other trusted partners to help keep students learning at home on WNET’s Education site. All resources are FREE and standards-aligned.

ABOUT WNET — WNET is America’s flagship PBS station: parent company of New York’s THIRTEEN and WLIW21, WLIW World and WLIW Create and operator of NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its new ALL ARTS multi-platform initiative, its broadcast channels, three cable services (THIRTEEN PBS Kids, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each month. WNET produces and presents a wide range of acclaimed PBS series, including Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, and the nightly interview program Amanpour and Company. In addition, WNET produces numerous documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings, as well as multi-platform initiatives addressing poverty and climate. Through THIRTEEN Passport and WLIW Passport, station members can stream new and archival THIRTEEN, WLIW and PBS programming anytime, anywhere.