More Bad News: Bill Moyers to Leave Weekly Television

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2009/11/20-2

More Bad News: Bill Moyers to Leave Weekly Television

by Craig Brown


Elizabeth Jensen at the New York Times' MediaCoder blog is reporting tonight:

The PBS mainstay Bill Moyers said he is retiring from weekly television and will end his Friday night public affairs show "Bill Moyers Journal" on April 30, 2010. That date will also be the last for "Now on PBS," which has been canceled.

Mr. Moyers said he had been planning for some time to retire the program on Dec. 25, but was asked by PBS to raise the funds to continue through April, which he did.

"I am 75 years old," he said of the decision to end the series, which began in April 2007. The program has recently been having a "good run of it," he added in a telephone interview on Friday, "so I feel it's time." He said he is not quitting television work, although he has no new projects planned.

"Now" began in January 2002, and was originally hosted by Mr. Moyers. John Siceloff, the executive producer, said the program, currently hosted by David Brancaccio, has been "a unique voice at a time when outlets for insightful journalism are diminishing. We're all looking for places to continue that work."

PBS said in a statement that it is in the middle of a "review and reinvention" of its news and public affairs programming, and will announce plans for its lineup in January.

[KharmaTrain]

1. Sorry To See Two Very Good Shows Vanish...

I can understand Mr. Moyer's desire to slow things down a bit. Producing a weekly show of the calibre he's established over the years takes a lot of time and energy...hopefully someone else will pick up the mantle in the future. Bill will be missed and hopefully he'll pop up now and then to offer his common sense perspective on current events.

It's also sad to see NOW being cancelled. The crapped out economy has meant money toward Public broadcasting has declined just as decreased advertising has hurt commercial television. PBS's problems are compounded by decreases in state and local funding...especially stations operated by Universities...that means less money goes to producing shows such as NOW. I don't see this as a political move as much as an economic one.

[fishcreek]

2. I will miss his show. I do hope another one with the same themes

can be put on the air.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Have a happy retirement!

And thanks for the decades of great work.

[MH1]

4. Sad to see Bill Moyers leave the scene.

I really liked "Now" when he was doing it.

[jotsy]

5. He's been the best reason for hangin' at home on a Friday night.

There'll be much to miss. Journalism is a profession easily tainted, which he resisted through the wisdom of his serenity and spirited nature of his desire to provide a bigger, common sense picture to the masses. His objective, calm and inquisitive tone will speak to generations as to what integrity looks and sounds like when it is above reproach.

As much as all I want to say is OUCH! What will we do without him, it leaves too big a void to fill. I know he has given much to us all and don't want to be anything but appreciative for the light he has tried to shed.