2019 ANNUAL REPORT A YEAR IN STORIES Watch WTTW Online STAY wttw.com/watch CONNECTED Watch WTTW on Mobile Stream WTTW to smart TV on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, and Chromecast devices. STAY CONNECTED Download the PBS Video App: wttw.com/pbsapp Watch WTTW on TV PBS Video mobile app Access Thousands of Shows and Series WTTW 2018 Voters Guide homepage Antenna: 11-1 WTTW Passport is the newest benefit Comcast: 11 and 191 for WTTW members with a contribution RCN: 11 and 611 of $5/month. Antenna: 11-2 Get WTTW Passport: Comcast: 370 wttw.com/passport RCN: 37 WTTW on Social (6:00 am to 6:00 pm) WTTW Twitter Antenna: 11-3 twitter.com/wttw Comcast: 369 RCN: 38 WTTW Facebook facebook.com/wttw11 10 THAT CHANGED AMERICA homepage WTTW Instagram (6:00 pm to 6:00 am) instagram.com/wttwchicago Antenna: 11-3 Comcast: 369 WTTW YouTube RCN: 38 youtube.com/wttwchicago WTTW News Facebook facebook.com/wttwnews Antenna: 11-4 Comcast: 368 Geoffrey Baer Facebook RCN: 39 WTTW homepage facebook.com/geoffreybaerWTTW WTTW Twitter Continued on page 5 2 3 STAY CONNECTED STAY CONNECTED WFMT on Social WFMT Facebook facebook.com/98.7wfmt WFMT Twitter Photo: Tipping Point Photography Point Tipping Photo: Listen to WFMT twitter.com/wfmtclassical on Radio WFMT Playlist Twitter WFMT homepage twitter.com/wfmtmusic WFMT YouTube Frequency: 98.7 youtube.com/WFMTChicago Listen to WFMT Online Introductions YAS Fest violinists wfmt.com/listen Listen to WFMT on Mobile Stream WFMT to smart speakers on Alexa, Google Home, Sonos and Apple HomePod devices. Download the WFMT App: wfmt.com/app WFMT Twitter WFMT mobile 4 5 JULY JULY 2018 involving police. WTTW’s community engagement initiatives celebrated Chefs Off the Clock - Molly Svec Chefs Off the Clock - Tony Priolo Great American Read quiz summer with kids and families, many of them in underserved neighborhoods. WTTW also hosted a screening and discussion of the documentary Whose FISCAL 2019 kicked off with the Streets? national premiere of three more episodes in the 10 that Changed America WFMT bid farewell to retiring Morning Photo: WTTW / Nathan Kensinger series and website. Host Geoffrey Baer Program host Carl Grapentine with set off on a summer road trip across an elegant sendoff at the Ravinia America, meeting with historians, Festival. The station presented more curators, and guides who shared the live performances from the Grant Park fascinating backstories behind the Music Festival that included Facebook iconic streets that connect our nation, Live videos from Millennium Park’s the monuments that commemorate our Pritzker Pavilion – this month, that history, and the engineering marvels included the annual Independence Day that transformed our environment and celebration. WFMT also shared concerts Carl Grapentine farewell at Ravinia 10 Streets that Changed America – Geoffrey Baer in Times Square shaped the way we live. from Ravinia and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and performances from Other July highlights on WTTW Lyric Opera of Chicago and Carnegie included A Capitol Fourth, the live Hall; welcomed Mariachi Herencia Independence Day celebration from de Mexico to Levin Studio; and went the U.S. Capitol, and several new series behind the scenes to meet the organists including No Passport Required with chef who liven up Cubs and Sox games. Photo: Courtesy of Roger Tam Marcus Samuelsson; Maigret, starring Rowan Atkinson; Hillary, about the nnn famed Mt. Everest explorer; and The Secret Life of Dogs. On wttw.com, the new digital series Chefs Off the Clock revealed the surprising ways that some of Chicago’s celebrity chefs unwind after they clock out of the kitchen. Also, staffers at Chicago Tonight shared some book recommendations and the site offered a fun quiz, "What Classic Novel Character Are You?", along with several stories on the Dan Ryan Expressway No Passport Required – Marcus Samuelsson protest march and gun incidents 6 7 AUGUST AUGUST Photo: Courtesy of Love Productions 2018 In three new series, WTTW took audiences to the Australian Outback, across Mexico, and to three Ancient Invisible Cities: Cairo, Athens, and Istanbul. WTTW also presented several new music specials, recalled the life and WFMT CELEBRATED the centenary work of artist Eva Hesse, and revealed of an American musical icon – the a new winner of The Great British prolific composer, conductor, pianist, Baking Show. wttw.com interviewed American Masters – Eva Hesse Great British Baking Show – Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood and teacher Leonard Bernstein, who the filmmaker behind Frontline: Our would have turned 100 on August 25 – Man in Tehran; focused on the opioid by playing selections from Bernstein’s epidemic, homelessness, and immigrant many recordings throughout the month, deportation; polled audiences on their including his own rendering of Candide, favorite books of all time; met the and hosting a “pop-up” performance in stellar young musicians who took part Boystown. WFMT’s Grant Park season in Great Performances: Chicago Voices; continued with music from Shakespeare; highlighted the Chicago Jazz Festival a concert featuring dynamic young via an exclusive story; and presented a pianist George Li, and a rousing season community screening and discussion finale performance of Orff’s Carmina of Exit Zero at the Chicago Cultural Burana with vocal soloists, chorus, and Center. orchestra. WFMT also presented new music from the Santa Fe Chamber Music nnn Festival, the electrifying pianist Yuja Wang in concert from Carnegie Hall, and a Monteverde rarity from the Royal Opera House: Ulysses’ Return to His Homeland. And Dennis Moore signed on as the new host of The Morning Program. Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates Bernstein’s 100th Also notable: digital stories on conductor Marin Alsop, who recalled Bernstein’s greatest lessons; soprano J’Nai Bridges giving a live recital in Photo: Kirk Edwards Levin Studio (and sharing a world premiere); and tips for teens wishing to Photo: GaldonesPhoto: Photography attend arts events at discounted prices. WFMT also took part in the annual Photo: Paul de Hueck, Bernstein Office, Inc Rick Bayless Pianist Yuja Wang Leonard Bernstein Thirsty Ears Festival in Lincoln Square. 8 9 Masterpiece SEPTEMBER Photo: Courtesy of BBC welcomed the Chicago Children’s Choir Photo: Mammoth Screen for BBC and 2018 SEPTEMBER Photo: Carnival Film and Television Ltd. and the Chicago Youth Symphony Poldark on Masterpiece Jamestown The Miniaturist Orchestras, who performed separately and together. Also from Pritzker Pavilion, WFMT brought audiences Music of the Baroque’s Baroque in the SEPTEMBER ON WTTW ushered in Park. The station also presented the a wealth of exciting new programs and rousing season finale of the 2018 BBC series, and several mainstays returned Promenade season, from London’s Royal Photo: Tipping Point Photography Point Tipping Photo: with eagerly awaited new seasons, Albert Hall, Last Night of the Proms, including Poldark, The Durrells in Corfu, and marked the Jewish High Holidays and 800 Words. Notable and new was with a music special hosted by Itzhak The Miniaturist, a new series based on Perlman, and the documentary Sound Jessie Burton’s bestselling novel that the Shofar: An Ancient Instrument in was recapped on wttw.com; a Ken Burns Modern Times. Digital stories included special on the Mayo Clinic; Jamestown, a web quiz, Which Conductor Are You?, from the creators of Downton Abbey; a and interviews with artists from this new installment of the Anne of Green year’s Chicago World Music Festival, Gables story; and in a WTTW Passport the largest and longest-running exclusive, Frankie Drake Mysteries. international music festival in the country. WTTW celebrated Hispanic Heritage Introductions in YAS Fest in Millennium Park Month with an impressive slate of nnn relevant on-air and digital content. wttw.com launched a new website connected with The Great American Read series and hosted a screening/discussion event in connection with inCommon with Mike Leonard’s Global Generation Photo: Courtesy of Sid Gentle Films documentary, and shared recipes from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television. WFMT marked the 10th anniversary of its Introductions series with a special live performance from Pritzker Photo: Courtesy of Breakthrough Entertainment Gables 23 Productions Inc. Pavilion in Millennium Park, part of the city’s Youth Arts Showcase Anne of Green Gables The Durrells in Corfu on Masterpiece program. Host Michael San Gabino 10 11 OCTOBER OCTOBER 2018 new seasons of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Onstage and Live from WFMT on which CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen and acclaimed lyric-coloratura soprano Alicia Berneche made special appearances. San Francisco Opera THIS MONTH, WTTW premiered a presented Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, new four-part weekly series and website, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and Art & Design in Chicago, tracing the Donizetti’s Don Pasquale; mandolin Judy Woodruff and Amanda Vinicky in Crown Studio WFMT's Mary Mazurek city’s creative past and present, and virtuoso Avi Avital was featured in launched season 18 of its popular local a concert by the CSO; Impromptu restaurant review series Check, Please! welcomed pianist Victor Asuncion with returning host Alpana Singh; its and Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues website continued to be a vital resource and Folkstage host Rich Warren Photo:Marc Hauser Photo: Nolis AndersonPhoto: for local foodies looking to explore welcomed Toronto-based singer- Photo:WTTW Carl Ken and new culinary experiences. WTTW also songwriter Shawna Caspi to the Fay provided extensive coverage, on-air and and Daniel Levin Performance Studio digital, of the midterm elections, and for live performances. On wfmt.com, Check, Please! host Alpana Singh Corky Siegel Bughouse Square with Eve Ewing hosted a behind-the-scenes event with WFMT’s Grammy-nominated audio political reporters from Chicago Tonight. engineer Mary Mazurek shared her Other events included screenings/ experiences in a male-dominated discussions around the series The Great profession, and audiences took a fun American Read and Native America.