WMHT Public Media Celebrates Milestone with Premiere of Original Documentary, ‘New York NOW & Then: 50 Years of Service
WMHT Public Media Celebrates Milestone with Premiere of Original Documentary, ‘New York NOW & Then: 50 Years of Service’
Public is invited to attend a free screening on January 9, which marks the 50th anniversary of WMHT’s reporting from the New York State Capital
Event being held at WMHT also features a conversation with Inside Albany founding host Dave Hepp and New York NOW Managing Editor & Host Shantel Destra
Albany, NY – WMHT Public Media, a multichannel public communications organization serving Eastern New York and Western New England, today announced plans to celebrate a half-century of reporting from the New York State Capital with the premiere of an original documentary, New York NOW & Then: 50 Years of Service. The program will debut during a special event, which is free and open to the public, to be held on Thursday, January 9 at 6:30 p.m. in WMHT’s Studio A in Troy, New York.
The 30-minute documentary traces the history of WMHT’s state capital coverage, highlighting the defining individuals, groundbreaking issues, and landmark policies that have shaped New York. It spans the period from the introduction of Inside Albany on January 9, 1975 to today’s New York NOW, the Emmy-winning production that is the only locally owned, independent, non-profit public affairs program covering New York state government.
The debut event – being held on the 50th anniversary of Inside Albany’s premiere – includes a preview screening of the documentary, followed by a conversation with the founding host of Inside Albany, Dave Hepp, and New York NOW Managing Editor & Host Shantel Destra.
“For 50 years and counting, WMHT’s commitment to providing fair, accurate and comprehensive coverage of New York state government has been a cornerstone of this organization,” said Anthony V. Hayes, President and CEO of WMHT Public Media and Board Chair of the Association for Public Broadcasting Stations (APBS), which represents public broadcasters statewide. “We take seriously our responsibility to educate and inform our audience, elevate the public discourse, and ensure that decisions made in Albany represent the best interests of New Yorkers. We’re proud of the legacy we’ve built, from Inside Albany to New York NOW, and determined to enhance it in the years to come.”
The broadcast debut of New York NOW & Then: 50 Years of Service will occur on Friday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. on WMHT in the Capital Region during New York NOW’s regularly scheduled time slot, and then air throughout the weekend on PBS affiliates across New York. The full schedule can be viewed at nynow.wmht.org/schedule/. New York NOW is also freely available to stream online and via the PBS video app.
Support for New York NOW is provided by New York State AFL-CIO and WNET.