Trusted. Valued. Essential. SEPTEMBER 2019 Vegas PBS A Message from the Management Team General Manager General Manager Tom Axtell, Vegas PBS Educational Media Services Director Niki Bates Production Services Director Kareem Hatcher Business Manager Brandon Merrill Communications and Brand Management Director Allison Monette Content Director Explore a True American Cyndy Robbins Workforce Training & Economic Development Director Art Form in Country Music Debra Solt Interim Director of Development and Strategic Relations en Burns is television’s most prolific documentarian, and PBS is the Clark Dumont exclusive home he has chosen for his work. Member donations make it Engineering, IT and Emergency Response Director possible for us to devote enough research and broadcast time to explore John Turner the facts, nuances and impact of history in our daily lives and our shared SOUTHERN NEVADA PUBLIC TELEVISION BOARD OF DIRECTORS American values. Since his first film in 1981, Ken Burns has been telling Executive Director Kunique and fascinating stories of the United States. Tom Axtell, Vegas PBS Ken has provided historical insights on events like The Civil War, Prohibition and President The Vietnam War. He has investigated the impact of important personalities in The Tom Warden, The Howard Hughes Corporation Roosevelts, Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain, and signature legacies like The Vice President Brooklyn Bridge,The National Parks and The Statute of Liberty. Now the filmmaker Clark Dumont, Dumont Communications, LLC explores another thread of the American identity in Country Music. Beginning Sunday, Secretary September 15 at 8 p.m., step back in time and explore the remarkable stories of the Nora Luna, UNR Cooperative Extension people and places behind this true American art form in eight two-hour segments. Treasurer and SNPT Planned Giving Council Chair Kim Walker, Kim Walker, Inc. “At the heart of every great country music song is a story,” said Ken Burns. “As the songwriter Harlan Howard said, ‘It’s three chords and the truth.’” Country Music BOARD MEMBERS traces the origins of this music genre from its early days when it was referred to as hill- Vince Alberta, UNLV – University of Nevada, Las Vegas billy music, to exploring how Nashville slowly became not just the mecca of country Linda Ammons, Community Volunteer music, but “Music City USA.” Tracy Bower, Desert Research Institute Cheryl (Cheri) Rosenow, US Bank It's impossible to tell the story of any popular music form without Southern Nevada. Michael Cunningham, Bank of Nevada As you watch Country Music you will spot a familiar locale. Co-producer Dayton Bill Curran, Ballard Spahr, LLP Duncan traveled here to interview Hank Williams and Merle Haggard when they were Mo Denis, Nevada State Senator performing at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino. They reminisced about performing Jason Gastwirth, Caesars Entertainment with the genre’s finest musicians.This was one of Merle’s last interviews. Other artists Stephen Greathouse, Las Vegas Hotel & Gaming Industry, Retired you will see in this series include Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Charlie Daniels, Brenda Marydean Martin, Marydean & Associates Lee, and more. Steve Seroka, Community Volunteer Accompanying Burns’ film is a robust educational initiative designed to engage Dr. Linda E.Young, Clark County School District Trustee teachers and students through multiple platforms, including the free educational FCC LICENSEES resource site, PBS Learning Media. This service is invaluable to Southern Nevadan Lola Brooks teachers. The site provides thousands of teaching resources to inspire students includ- Linda P. Cavazos ing videos, lesson plans and interactive games aligned to state school standards. Chris Garvey Ken Burns’ Country Music is also a fantastic opportunity to watch in an all new Irene A. Cepeda way: streaming on the PBS Video App. The app is free to download on iOS, Android, Danielle Ford Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast and has thousands of hours of free Deanna L. Wright Dr. Linda E.Young programming. You will be able to stream the first four episodes of Country Music beginning the night of the premiere. As a $60 or more member of Vegas PBS, you can Contact Vegas PBS with comments and suggestions: also activate your Vegas PBS Passport account to gain access to on-demand stream- Vegas PBS & Southern Nevada Public Television ing to more than 1,500 episodes of your favorite programs, including all eight parts of 3050 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121 702.799.1010 • Fax 702.799.2806 Country Music. VegasPBS.org • email: [email protected] Your donations make Vegas PBS the home for ground-breaking documentaries.This Vegas PBS Source, Volume No. 9, 2019 year we will offer 200 hours of documentary content coming from producers with Anton Tielemans, Vegas PBS Source Art Director diverse viewpoints. Your contributions are vital to funding the films that tell important stories that often go untold.Thank you for supporting Vegas PBS, and I hope you enjoy Ken Burns’ Country Music. This magazine Tom Axtell is printed on recycled paper SEPTEMBER 2019 5 September 2019 Contents Cover Story 8 Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns Step back in time and journey through the compelling history of a truly American art form in this sweeping new eight-part, 16-hour film directed by Ken Burns. Departments 5 Message to Our Members Letter from General Manager Tom Axtell 14 Upcoming Member Events 22 A Message from the Director of Engineering, IT and Emergency Management Systems Features 10 Hispanic Heritage Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 11 Science & Nature Exploring Our Wonderful World 8 12 Drama Poldark Season 5 on Masterpiece and more. 15 How-To Cook’s Country with America’s Test Kitchen 16 Arts Extraordinary Music and Extraordinary Places 18 History Stories from the Past including The Mine Wars: American Experience,The Feud: American Experience and more. 32 Nevada Week: Chronic Pain and Opioids: A Double Crisis 33 Vegas PBS Favorites 34 Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television (new season!) 12 15 35 Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns 37 Vegas PBS Rewind/Worldview/Jackpot! Program Menu 23 Weekdays/Children’s Lineup 24 Primetime Programming 32 Weekend Daytime Programming 36 Vegas PBS Create Programming 36 Vegas PBS Channels 38 Vegas PBS Sponsors 18 35 SEPTEMBER 2019 7 COVER STORY as well as studio musicians, record producers and others.The film uses more than 3,200 pho- tographs and over two hours of archival footage, including rare and never-before-seen photos and footage of Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash and others. At its heart are the unforgettable songs and the artists who created them: their emergence from humble beginnings, their musical influ- ences and their breakthrough moments. Much like the music itself, the film also tells the remarkable stories of hardships and joys shared by everyday people. Ken Burns notes, “At the heart of every great country music song is a story. As the songwriter Harlan Howard said,‘It’s three chords and the truth.’” The Rub (Beginnings – 1933) Sunday, September 15 at 8 p.m. What was first called “hillbilly music” reaches new audiences through phonographs and radio and launches the careers of country music’s first big stars, the Carter Family and Dolly Parton Jimmie Rodgers. Hard Times (1933 -1945) Monday, September 16 at 8 p.m. Country Music: Nashville becomes the heart of the country music industry. The genre grows in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II A Film by Ken Burns as America falls in love with singing cowboys, Texas Swing and the Grand Ole Opry’s Roy Sundays thru Wednesdays, September 15–25 at 8 p.m. Acuff. The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945 -1953) Step back in time and journey through the and was recorded for the first time and played Tuesday, September 17 at 8 p.m. compelling history of a truly American art across the airwaves on radio station barn The bluegrass sound spreads in post-war form in this sweeping new eight-part, 16-hour dances. It explores how Hollywood B movies America, and meet honky-tonk star Hank film directed by Ken Burns, and produced by instituted the fad of singing cowboys like Gene Williams, whose songs of surprising emotional Burns and his long-time collaborators Dayton Autry and shows how the rise of juke joints depth are derived from his troubled and tragi- Duncan and Julie Dunfey. after World War II changed the musical style cally short life. The documentary chronicles country music’s by bringing electric and pedal steel guitars to early days, from Southern Appalachia’s songs the forefront. Ernest of struggle, heartbreak and faith to the rol- The documentary features interviews Tubbs licking Western swing of Texas, California’s with more than 100 people, including 40 honky-tonks and Nashville’s “Grand Ole members of the Country Music Hall of Opry.” The film follows the evolution of coun- Fame (17 of those interviewed have since try music over the course of the 20th century passed on). Among those storytellers are as it eventually emerges to become historian Bill Malone and a wide range of “America’s music.” country artists such as Marty Stuart, The series digs deep to uncover the roots of Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, the music, including ballads, minstrel music, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, hymns and the blues, and its early years in the Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Kris 1920s, when it was called “hillbilly music,” Kristofferson, and Naomi and Wynonna Judd, The film follows the evolution of country music “over the course of the 20th century as it eventually emerges to become “America’s music.”’ 8 VEGAS PBS SOURCE Charley Pride Before you watch the “series, be sure to catch this special preview...” March 27, 2019, is hosted by Burns and fea- tures performances by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Roy Acuff (center) on the Grand Ole Opry, c.1940 Cash, Rodney Crowell, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor of Old I Can’t Stop Loving You from their famous fathers’ shadows; and Willie Crow Medicine Show, Ricky Skaggs, Marty (1953 -1963) Nelson and Waylon Jennings launching the Stuart, Asleep at the Wheel, Holly Williams Wednesday, September 18 at 8 p.m.