Chicago Tonight correspondent Annual Report 2008 Rich Samuels blogs from the roof of the Hilton Hotel overlooking Grant Park as he covers Election Night 2008. Dear Members, and better services. Now you’ll see all of your favorite shows—Chicago Tonight, In the historic election year of 2008, the city of Chicago was the Antiques Roadshow, NOVA, Sesame Street, WordWorld, and many others— focus of the world as it had never been before. For the first time since the in a whole new light, with a dramatically sharper picture, more vivid color, and Civil War, America elected a president from Illinois—not only the first better sound quality. And now WTTW can offer several channels at once— African-American, but the first Chicagoan. And WTTW’s Chicago Tonight was WTTWHD, V-me, Create and WTTW Prime. The sky is the limit on the amount there every step of the way, connecting our viewers to the local and national of quality content now available on not one, but four WTTW channels. political scene with candidate forums, insightful analysis, in-person reports Although today we are getting news and information on our computers, from the convention floor, personal videos, photos, and blogs, and coverage iPods, Blackberries, and cell phones, the television is still the hearth of of the unprecedented election night celebration from a unique vantage point. our living rooms, the family gathering place where we turn to be inspired, On the night that the world came to Chicago, we truly did our city proud. informed, and entertained. When we recently called our chief engineer to ask And it reminded me that without some of the technological advances we’ve about conversion mandate details, he couldn’t contain his pride. “You know, made, it could never have happened. WTTW broadcast the very first high-def program in 1982—Playin’ Chicago— Winston Churchill once said that “a pessimist sees difficulty in every and in 2002, we were the first in Chicago to have a separate schedule of opportunity and an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” high-def programming on WTTWHD.” For 53 years, we have taken our reputation He could have been envisioning today’s media world. Twelve years ago, as technical pioneers very seriously, and we continue to do so. So stay tuned when WTTW and broadcasters nationwide were mandated by the federal as you continue to see your beloved programs on WTTW and hear your government to convert to digital, the task seemed daunting, not to mention favorite symphonies on 98.7WFMT with extraordinary clarity. exorbitantly expensive—nearly $20 million for WTTW alone. In addition to raising capital campaign funds, we received a generous gift from The Grainger Foundation to complete the complex digital conversion effort. Our engineers worked overtime to research the upgrades that would be needed, building a new master control and editing suites, installing new switchers, Daniel J. Schmidt, President & CEO purchasing high definition cameras, audio, and lighting equipment—and to train themselves to use all of this new technology. And then there was another formidable task—educating and informing our viewers. Our communications, marketing, and broadcasting teams, mindful that public television viewers are perhaps the most vulnerable, came together to coordinate an awareness campaign. Finally, after all these years of preparation, on June 12, television stations will turn off their analog channels and begin to broadcast exclusively in the digital format. They say every cloud has a silver lining, and digital television is no exception. The conversion will allow broadcasters to offer a number of new clockwise from top right: Geoffrey Baer and Chicago’s premier public television station reaches two million viewers crew shooting Chicago’s Chicago Tonight host Lakefront a month. Founded in 1955, WTTW is proud to present a variety of Phil Ponce Franny’s Feet public affairs, performing and visual arts, nature, science, and how-to Arts Across Illinois: CenterStage Christine Ebersole and Ann Hampton Callaway programming, and an award-winning children’s schedule. Although our Golden Apple Award perform at the annual Gala winning teachers help out primary focus has been uniquely local, we continue to produce programs during at a pledge drive John Callaway with for a national and international audience. Our media organization Phil Donahue provides quality programming on four distinct channels—WTTW11, WTTWD, the how-to channel Create, and V-me, our Spanish-language public television channel. Local Productions and WTTWN Distinctive Programs from PBS Co-Productions: WTTW National Productions We are proud to offer our audience G Check, Please! produces original programming for a wide variety of programming, G Chicago Matters: Growing Forward public television stations nationwide. including American Experience, G Chicago’s Lakefront WTTWN’s landmark innovative series Nature, NOVA, Antiques Roadshow, G Chicago Tonight and original productions include: Frontline, Masterpiece, Independent G Friday Night with John Callaway Lens and more. Our award-winning G The Golden Apple Awards for National Productions and children’s programs include Excellence in Teaching Co-Productions: Sesame Street, Arthur, Dragon Tales, G Illinois Lawmakers G American Idealist: The Story of WordWorld, Super Why, Curious G Image Union Sargent Shriver George, and Maya & Miguel, G Hidden Chicago with Geoffrey Baer G David Broza at Masada: among others. G Out & Proud in Chicago The Sunrise Concert with Jackson G Rewind with Anna Davlantes Browne and Shawn Colvin G Singer’s Spotlight with G Grannies on Safari Ann Hampton Callaway G Heidi 4 Paws: A Furry Tale G The Week in Review with G John McLaughlin’s One on One Joel Weisman G The McLaughlin Group G 30 Good Minutes G MEXICO—One Plate at a Time with G Ventana a Chicago Rick Bayless G A Renaissance Christmas G Retirement Revolution G SS United States: Lady in Waiting G Soundstage G WordWorld 2 3 clockwise from top right: Nature clockwise left to right: The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer team Out & Proud in Chicago Heidi 4 Paws: A Furry Tale Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Producers Alexandra Guitar Festival A Renaissance Silets and Daniel Andries Rewind with Anna Christmas with host Jane Lynch Davlantes Nature (center) in Millennium Check, Please! Park Carol Marin on WordWorld host Alpana Singh Chicago Tonight Singer Feist on Sesame MEXICO—One Plate at a Street Time with Rick Bayless 4 4 5 clockwise from top right: Antiques Roadshow The Week in Review with Joel Weisman NOVA Megan Mullally with Elmo on Sesame Street Independent Lens Retirement Revolution host Paula Zahn Great Performances Cyrano de Bergerac Kevin Kline and Carman Lacivita clockwise from top right: American Experience The Trials of J. Robert Arthur Oppenheimer–David Strathairn as Oppenheimer Then candidate Barack Obama on Frontline: Phil Ponce on The Choice Chicago Tonight 6 7 clockwise left to right: Helvetica Duke Ellington on Independent Lens Independent Lens Chicago Tonight Great Performances: correspondent Nutcracker Eddie Arruza clockwise from top right: Soundstage: Bon Jovi Maya & Miguel NOVA: Is There Life on Mother’s Day Mars? Phoenix lander Masterpiece: Sense Chicago Tonight and Sensibility correspondent Christian Farr Frontline: War Briefs 8 9 clockwise left to right: Performers Christine Trustee Alexandra C. Trustee Peter McNitt and WTTW11 Donor Events Ebersole and Ann Nichols, her husband Ann Hampton Callaway Ann Hampton Callaway, Hampton Callaway with John D. Nichols, and at the Gala John Callaway, and Gala Co-Chair Renée Chicago Tonight host Liz Callaway at the Crown (center) Phil Ponce (center) Renée Crown, Christine annual Gala at the dedication of Ebersole, Fay Levin, Ann the new Master Control Hampton Callaway, and facility named in Maxine Farrell celebrate their honor a successful Gala Lunch & Learn Taste of Check, Please! WTTW Kids Fun and Run This spring, a group of WTTW friends On May 15, an unprecedented 630 Elmo, Grover, and WTTW’s very own had the opportunity to meet Winnetka guests gathered at the WTTW Studios “Dog” from WordWorld were just a few native Mike Leonard, the Today Show to enjoy the fifth annual Taste of the popular characters that could correspondent and creator of the of Check, Please! Hosted by Alpana be found at the WTTW Kids Fun and popular public television series The Singh, the event featured eclectic Run, which drew more than 4,000 Ride of Our Lives. Leonard shared clips cuisine from 30 Chicago-area restau- children and adults to Chicago’s Lincoln of the funny and moving program rants reviewed on the popular weekly Park on August 24. The family event (based on his best-selling memoir of series. Guests also enjoyed music from featured a 3K walk/5K run, games, the same name), and told wonderful vocalist/songwriter Dee Alexander activities, music from the acclaimed stories about his family and their in the VIP room, and the Joe Valentino band “Milkshake,” and much more. travels together. Band entertained in the main party More than 1,000 children and their area. This year, WTTW partnered with families visited WTTW’s Super Readers Celebrate the American Song the Greater Chicago Food Depository, tent, generously supported by the Award-winning artists and Chicago asking guests to bring a donation Early Learning Initiative, enjoyed free natives Ann Hampton Callaway of non-perishable food items to help musical performances by the WTTW and Christine Ebersole took center feed the hungry across Cook County. Kids Great Food Fan Van’s Miss Lori stage on May 21 at the WTTW11/ and Sandi Sylver, and received a free 98.7WFMT fundraising gala Celebrate Arts Across Illinois: CenterStage children’s book. Children transformed the American Song. The program, The Springfield Ballet, jazz vocalist into “Super Readers” while creating titled Singer’s Spotlight with Ann Semenya McCord, and puppeteers their own eye masks and super capes.