Scoop: PBS is creating an LGTBQ-focused broadcast show
- Sara Fischer, author of Axios Media Trends
PBS is creating a new broadcast show and digital series centered around issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, PBS Head of Digital Studios Brandon Arolfo said at a small PRNEWS event in Washington on Friday.
Why it matters: PBS is a publicly-funded broadcast network that was created to help educate the public, including kids. The network has always pushed to showcase diverse voices. In the past, conservative groups have criticized PBS for using taxpayer dollars to fund LGTBQ-friendly content.
Details: The series will include roughly a dozen YouTube videos and a broadcast component.
- In a statement to Axios, a PBS spokesperson confirmed that the company is "in the early stages of development" for the upcoming show, which at this point is untitled.
The big picture: It's not the first PBS series to focus on LGBTQ+ issues.
- In May, PBS aired an episode of the popular kids show Arthur, which featured a same-sex wedding in the plot.
- PBS aired “Tales of the City” more than two decades ago, which examined the LGBTQ community in San Francisco in the 1970s, although the company didn't itself produce the series.
The bottom line: “As viewer habits continue to evolve, PBS is working to align content across linear and digital platforms in order to meet viewers where they are," the spokesperson said.
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