(Newark, N.J., Jan. 30, 2008) --Thirteen/WNET New York, a flagship PBS station, will broadcast “The Once and Future Newark,” a documentary that celebrates the rich cultural and historical heritage of Newark, N.J., on Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m., with a March 21 re-broadcast, also at 5:30 p.m. The documentary, which premiered in October 2006 on the New Jersey Network to widespread acclaim by critics and viewers alike, has garnered major honors – including an Emmy nomination -- while opening many eyes to Newark’s history and exciting future. The Feb. 18 airing will be its first broadcast on Thirteen/WNET.
The documentary is narrated by renowned Rutgers historian Clement A. Price and produced by Rutgers University, Newark, in association with Blackbird Media Group. The film follows Price as the Newark resident tours the city with colleagues, visiting 18 historical, cultural, and in some cases, uniquely Newark sites. These include Branch Brook Park, the Ironbound, Weequahic High School, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Essex County Courthouse, and the Newark campus of Rutgers. The film also incorporates a treasure trove of historical images.
The goal of the film is to showcase the city’s rich history and resources, and in the process, help spread the good word about Newark far beyond the city’s borders.
Price teaches at Rutgers University in Newark, where he is the Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor specializing in urban history, African-American history and New Jersey and Newark history. He notes, “The film enables me to reach thousands of people who live, work and study in Newark, those who left the city years ago and, to be sure, those who deserve an opportunity to better understand New Jersey's largest and most important regional center."
Since its 2006 premiere, the documentary has been honored at the national, state and regional levels, including, most recently, an Emmy award nomination in the category “Historic/Cultural-Program or Special,” by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The production crew for the documentary consists of Rutgers’ Paxton and Michael Podolski, co-producer/director; Trace Brown, audio director; and cinematographers Jeff Preston and Michael Schaefer, all of Blackbird Media, based in State College, Pennsylvania.
In August 2007 the Association for Women in Communications announced that “The Once and Future Newark” had been awarded a national Clarion Award, in the category of “Television Documentary Program – Local or Regional,” and in May 2007 it was named “Video of the Year” by the Garden State Journalists Association.
Price has led tours of Newark for decades, inspiring students, educators and many others to be fascinated by Newark’s past and the promises of its future. Many who tour the city with Price have gone on to develop a personal connection and active interest in Newark.
DVDs of the award-winning documentary are available for purchase at http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/newark/ . Discounts are available for public schools, and public and university libraries, as a well as other non-profit organizations.
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Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Stage on Screen, Secrets of the Dead, and Cyberchase – as well as the work of Bill Moyers – to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The Thirteen Walking Tours, New York Voices, and Reel New York. With educational and community outreach projects that extend the impact of its television productions, Thirteen takes television “out of the box.” And as broadcast and digital media converge, Thirteen is blazing trails in the creation of Web sites, enhanced television, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, educational software, and other cutting-edge media products. More information about Thirteen can be found at: www.thirteen.org.
Media Contact: Carla Capizzi
973/353-5262
E-mail: capizzi@rutgers.edu