For Immediate Release
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Contact: Carrie Johnson, PBS, (703) 739-5129; Monica Tichenor, WSIU Promotions Coordinator, (618) 453-6160, monica.tichenor@wsiu.org
WSIU-TV to Present New Ken Burns Film on November 18
The Dust Bowl Explores Largest Manmade Ecological Disaster in History
Carbondale, Ill. -- WSIU Public Television, a public media arm of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will present The Dust Bowl, a new two-part documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, on WSIU-TV 8.1 and WUSI-TV 16.1 on Sunday, November 18 and Monday, November 19 at 7pm, with repeats each night at 9pm and again on November 19 & 20 at 12am & 2am and on November 21 & 22 at 2am.
Additional repeats will air on WSIU's WORLD channels, WSIU-TV 8.2 and WUSI-TV 16.2, on Tuesday, November 20 beginning at 5pm.
The Dust Bowl chronicles the environmental catastrophe that, throughout the 1930s, destroyed the farmlands of the Great Plains, turned prairies into deserts, and unleashed a pattern of massive, deadly dust storms that for many seemed to herald the end of the world. It was the worst manmade ecological disaster in American history. Vivid interviews with 26 survivors of those hard times combine with dramatic photographs, seldom-seen movie footage, and music by folk singer Woody Guthrie to bring to life stories of incredible human suffering and equally incredible perseverance.
On Sunday, November 18, The Dust Bowl will be preceded at 6pm by another new program exploring extreme weather. NOVA: Inside the Megastorm traces the deadly impact of Hurricane Sandy - the largest Atlantic hurricane on record - and asks if climate change contributed to the weather conditions that gave rise to the storm.
The Dust Bowl is a production of Florentine Films, a production company co-founded by Ken Burns in 1976, and WETA, Washington, DC.
About WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than three million people across five states and beyond through three digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and an education and community outreach department.
WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.
WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
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