PBS RESCUES FIRST HOUR OF TONY AWARDS SHOW.Byline: Daily News Wire Services Recent Tony Awards broadcasts on CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. left almost everyone connected with the event disgruntled dis·grun·tle tr.v. dis·grun·tled, dis·grun·tling, dis·grun·tles To make discontented. [dis- + gruntle, to grumble (from Middle English gruntelen; see : the theater people because the edited-down two-hour show meant award winners' remarks were abruptly cut short; the CBS people because the show's low Nielsen ratings meant low receipts for the network. This year, the theater industry has found a novel way to satisfy both the egos of its stars and the appetite of its fans. The awards gala's ``lost hour,'' the one from 8 to 9 p.m. that CBS has been cutting from its broadcast, will be rescued by WNET Wnet Windows Networking WNET Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training WNET Wireless Network , the New York public television station. WNET will produce a live broadcast of the first hour of the Tony Awards ceremony, to be held June 1 in Manhattan at Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall New York City’s famous cinema; home of the Rockettes. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 2338] See : Theater with Rosie O'Donnell as host, and PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, will broadcast that hour nationwide. CBS' telecast will follow from 9 to 11. ``New York is the theater capital of America, and these awards are important here,'' said WNET president William F. Baker Dr. William F. Baker has been the Chief Executive of the Educational Broadcasting Corporation since 1987. The EBC is the parent company of PBS station's WLIW and flagship PBS station WNET/Thirteen. Baker received his B.A., M.A. and Ph. D degrees from Case Western Reserve University. on Tuesday. ``But there are theaters all over America, and it's an important cultural industry in this country. When we saw the chance to help support that industry, we just jumped at it.'' The Tony ceremony's first hour usually includes awards for choreography, scenery, lighting, costumes and even for best director. Last year, 13 of 21 Tony winners did not appear live; edited versions of their remarks were inserted, on tape, into the live CBS broadcast. The WNET broadcast will intercut in·ter·cut v. in·ter·cut, in·ter·cut·ting, in·ter·cuts v.tr. To interweave (two separate, usually concurrent scenes) in a film; crosscut. v.intr. To crosscut. the live show with recorded segments, including scenes from this year's shows. ``It does solve a logistical problem,'' Jed Bernstein, executive director of the League of American Theaters and Producers, said Tuesday. ``But what's really cool, from the industry's perspective, is that we don't get much national television exposure, and this partnership with WNET and PBS increases by 50 percent the national exposure Broadway gets throughout America.'' |
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