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(October 27, 2011 – Arlington, VA) MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, producers of the PBS NEWSHOUR, is pleased to announce the appointment of long-time Washington Post executive, Boisfeuillet (Bo) Jones Jr., as new President & CEO. He will join MacNeil/Lehrer Productions at the first of the year.

“It is a happy day for us in public broadcasting,” said Robert MacNeil. “We welcome a man of such rich experience in journalism management to help us keep MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and the NEWSHOUR vital into the future.”

Mr. Jones has served 32 years with The Washington Post as Vice President & Counsel, President & General Manager, then Publisher & CEO from 2000 to 2008. At present he is Vice Chairman of the Washington Post Company and Chairman of The Washington Post newspaper.

As President of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, Jones will head corporate and foundation funding for the NEWSHOUR, coordinate relationships with all public television broadcast and distribution entities, as well as develop documentary programs and projects.

“Like millions of others, I am a huge fan of the NEWSHOUR,” said Mr. Jones. “I heartily look forward to helping MacNeil/Lehrer Productions sustain and expand its excellent and very special programming.”

MacNeil/Lehrer Productions (MLP), a partnership of Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, with Liberty Media Inc., is best known as the producer of the PBS NEWSHOUR, the nation’s most respected evening news program.

MacNeil and Lehrer came together when they anchored public television’s non-stop coverage of the Senate Watergate Hearings in 1973. That programming won their first Emmy and gave them an identity as a news team that continued with the nightly MacNeil-Lehrer Report and the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour, America’s first hour-long national news program. MacNeil/Lehrer Productions was founded in 1981.

Jim Lehrer said: “Bo Jones is the ideal person to take us where we must go. He has a unique combination of journalistic integrity and business acumen, plus he understands Americans’ increasing demand for serious journalism about the issues and events that matter.”

A native of Atlanta, Bo Jones is a graduate of Harvard College, where he was President of the Harvard Crimson newspaper. Later on a Rhodes Scholarship, he graduated from Oxford University, then from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He was an attorney with Hill and Barlow in Boston from 1975 to 1980, and was law clerk for the Honorable Levin H. Campbell, a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, from 1974-1975.

Mr. Jones is a trustee of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and a former director of the Associated Press and the Newspaper Association of America.

Linda Winslow, the PBS NEWSHOUR’s Executive Producer, said: “Bo Jones’ background and experience make him the ideal choice to be the new head of MLP. With his help the company, and by extension the PBS NEWSHOUR, will continue as an iconic news organization.”

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of changes designed to keep MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and the PBS NEWSHOUR competitive in an evolving multi-media landscape. That process began in December 2009 with the successful transition from The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer to the PBS NEWSHOUR. That move created a multi-anchor team that features Lehrer plus Senior Correspondents Gwen Ifill, Judy Woodruff, Jeffrey Brown, Ray Suarez and Margaret Warner and involved the complete integration of the NEWSHOUR’s on-air and online operations. In December 2011, Jim Lehrer will leave the anchor position, but will continue to oversee the program as Executive Editor.

In addition to the PBS NEWSHOUR, MLP has produced several documentaries and features. Recent examples include: Debating our Destiny, a critically acclaimed two-part series during which Jim Lehrer interviews former presidential and vice-presidential candidates about their debate triumphs and failures; Generation Next, Judy Woodruff’s travels across the country to explore the unique perspectives of Americans ages 16 – 25; the award-winning Do You Speak American?, Robert MacNeil’s cross country trek to discover why Americans speak the way we do; and a series of documentaries exploring the role of the modern first lady which includes: The First Lady: Public Expectations, Private Lives; Betty Ford: The Real Deal; LadyBird and Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.  MLP is also the leading force behind By the People, a civic engagement project.

As MLP President, Mr. Jones will succeed Simon Marks, who has decided to return to reporting and production. Mr. Marks helped lead the NEWSHOUR through important changes, merging the television program with a greatly enhanced online presence.

MacNeil/Lehrer Productions produces the PBS NEWSHOUR, which airs weeknights on more than 315 local PBS stations, as well as other programs for public, commercial and cable television.  

PBS NEWSHOUR is seen by more than 5 million weekly viewers and is also available online, via public radio in select markets and via podcast. The program is produced in association with WETA Washington, DC, and WNET.org in New York. Major corporate funding for the PBS NEWSHOUR is provided by Chevron and Intel, with additional support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.

PRESS CONTACTS

Anne Bell
Macneil/Lehrer Productions
abell@newshour.org
(703) 998-2175

Tom Goodman
Goodman Media
tom@goodmanmedia.com
(212) 576-2700

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In early 2011, the PBS NewsHour created a three part series covering horse racing in Maryland titled “Three Faces of the Triple Crown.”

The series, including additional photos and interviews is now available as an iPad app in the App Store.

Featuring reporting by Mike Fritz and Tom Legro, the app was designed and programmed by Travis Daub. Triple Crown was created using Kwik and Corona SDK.

Users of the app are invited to leave comments below.

NOW AVAILABLE

To purchase a copy, please click here.

We appreciate your patience!

Please use this special discount code at check out to save $10 on your purchase: D8XUZLB3

ROBERT MACNEIL REPORTS: AUTISM NOW, produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, is a comprehensive look at autism, a developmental disorder that manifests itself during the first three years of life. The subject is one that resonates deeply with MacNeil’s own family; Robin’s grandson, Nick, has autism.

MacNeil and his producer Caren Zucker spent over a year researching and producing these reports. The result – a compelling six-part series designed to provide viewers with an authoritative, balanced look at the latest scientific research and medical thinking about the disorder. Equally important, it chronicles the growing impact of autism as seen through the eyes of families, children, educators and clinicians.

This DVD set also includes a new introduction by Robert MacNeil, a conversation on the making of the series and extended interviews with experts on autism.

Disc 1 

Introduction by Robert MacNeil

• Part 1: Robert MacNeil Shares Grandson Nick’s Story
• Part 2: Prevalence
• Part 3: Causes
• Part 4: Treatment
• Part 5: Adults with Autism
• Part 6: Policy

The Making of the Series – A Conversation

Disc 2 

Extended interviews with:

• Dr. David Amaral, Research Director of the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis
• Dr. Timothy Buie, Associate in Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Dr. Gerald Fishbach, Science Director of Simons Foundation in New York
• Dr. Peter Gerhardt, Director of Adolescent Education at the McCarton School in New York City
• Dr. Richard Grinker, Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University
• Dr. Martha Herbert, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School
• Dr. Irva Hertz-Piccotto, Chief of the Division of Environmental Health at the University of California, Davis
• Dr. Craig Newschaffer, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University
• Dr. Sally Rogers, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis
• Bridget Taylor, Director of the Alpine Learning Group in Alpine, New Jersey

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Indeed, it is not only Lehrer’s tenacious commitment to journalistic principles that have made him a success, it is his vision.

“Two years ago, Jim Lehrer said he wanted us to redesign the broadcast and make our online component an integral part of the operation,” explained Linda Winslow, Executive Producer of the PBS NEWSHOUR. “He wanted something that would showcase the entire team of NewsHour reporters and the kind of journalism we produce. As this award season attests, we’re definitely making headway on realizing Jim’s vision.”

The Fourth Estate Award is the latest in a series of high profile awards the PBS NEWSHOUR has received, including: the NATAS Chairman’s Award at the News & Documentary Emmys, USC Annenberg’s Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism, the AHCJ Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, and awards from the Education Writers Association.

PBS NEWSHOUR is seen five nights a week on more than 315 PBS stations across the country and is also available online, via public radio in select markets and via podcast. The program is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, in association with WETA Washington, DC, and THIRTEEN in New York. Major corporate funding for the NewsHour is provided by Chevron and Intel, with additional support from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.

Contact: Anne Bell 703.998.2175 or Rob Flynn 703.998.2174

Read Robert MacNeil’s reflection on the honor and why the values of the NEWSHOUR – impartiality, balance, and honesty – have remained unchanged in 35 years.

Sunday, February 6, 2011 on PBS — 10 pm EST (check local listings)

Friends, family, historians, members of Ronald Reagan’s inner circle, and Nancy Reagan herself, reflect on the life of one of the nation’s most iconic first ladies, in Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, a one-hour biography timed to coincide with the centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth. It airs Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 10 pm (EST) on PBS.

Produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, the documentary explores the life of a first lady whose power and influence were often underestimated. Criticized for taking a seemingly traditional role as first lady during an era focused on women’s rights, those within Ronald Reagan’s inner circle recognized Mrs. Reagan’s role as much more than the stylish spouse who redecorated the White House.

The documentary features interviews with historians and biographers who, after extensive research into Ronald Reagan’s political career, have now concluded that Nancy Reagan was one of the most influential first ladies in modern times, with far-reaching impact on personnel and policy issues. Nancy Reagan is credited with moving President Reagan to more moderate positions, in particular his stance toward the Soviet Union, and with getting her husband to publicly admit his involvement in Iran-Contra, a move that likely saved his presidency. To this day, she continues to use her statue and influence as she guards her husband’s legacy and champions stem cell research.

In a rare, extended interview with Judy Woodruff, Nancy Reagan reflects on her childhood, her life as an actress, her marriage to Ronald Reagan, their lifelong romance, and her role as his most trusted adviser in a political career that would take them from the back lots of Hollywood to the California governor’s mansion and then to the White House.

Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime features never-before-seen photos made available by the Reagan Foundation, rare film footage, plus interviews with members of Ronald Reagan’s political inner circle, including Jim Baker and Ken Duberstein, who both served as Reagan’s White House chief of staff; and Stuart Spencer, Reagan’s long time political strategist. Other features include interviews with Nancy’s son Ronald Reagan, family friends, and historians, including Lou Cannon, one of the most prolific authors on the Reagans, who has followed their lives since his days as a political reporter for the Sacramento Bee in the early days of Reagan’s political career.

A companion web site, pbs.org/newshour/nancy-reagan features photo galleries of the Reagan’s early years in Hollywood to their life in the White House including State dinners and foreign travels, plus much more.

To request a DVD screener of the full program, contact Anne Bell at ABell@NewsHour.org or at 703.998.2175.

Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions in association with KLRU. Funding for Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime is provided by: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; The Annenberg Foundation; The Lux Foundation; John A. & Cynthia Fry Gunn; The Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation; George P. Shultz; and Alan Greenspan & Andrea Mitchell.

Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime is the most recent profile in the Modern First Ladies series being produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. MacNeil/Lehrer Productions produces the PBS NEWSHOUR, which airs weeknights on more than 300 local PBS stations, as well as other programs for public, commercial and cable television. MLP also produced complete broadcast coverage of the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions for PBS. Other recent television programs produced by MLP include: Debating our Destiny, a critically acclaimed two-part series during which Jim Lehrer interviews former presidential and vice-presidential candidates about their debate triumphs and failures; Generation Next, Judy Woodruff’s travels across the country to explore the unique perspectives of Americans ages 16 – 25; the award-winning Do You Speak American?, Robert MacNeil’s cross-country trek to discover why Americans speak the way we do; The First Lady: Public Expectations, Private Lives, a look at the expectations of the role of the modern first lady; Betty Ford: The Real Deal; and LadyBird, a profile of former First Lady, LadyBird Johnson. MLP is also the leading force behind the By the People: America in the World civic engagement project.

Broadcast on more than 300 PBS stations and reaching 98 percent of America’s television households, the PBS NEWSHOUR has been ranked by the Erdos & Morgan Opinion Leader survey as first among all television news programs as the most credible, most objective, most influential, and most current news program on television.