Pop Cultured

One of the reasons I started this blog was to connect the dots between the shows and personalities you see on public television with the overall pop culture experience. I feel PBS is solidly enmeshed with America’s pop culture in a way that often goes overlooked. It runs the gamut from the obvious (Sesame Street, Bob Ross) to the more obscure (Michael Keaton got his start on Mister Rogers‘ Neighborhood and Selena Gomez appeared on Barney & Friends).

When I heard of the death of musician multi-hyphenate Michael Nesmith today, I wondered if he had some connection to the Public Broadcasting Service. Aside, from a 1993 appearance on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, I saw nothing in his long list of credits. Still, that’s an association worth mentioning.

Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

Let’s take another dip into the archives with a picture from the early days of the station. The photo below is of … well, your guess is as good as mine. It appears to be someone setting up a model of a television studio. Obviously, this photo is from long ago. It may even be from before WUNC signed on the air in 1955. This model could be to show off the design prior to the construction of the studio in Swain Hall on the UNC Campus. Sadly, I don’t know the gentleman pictured or when and where this was snapped but it at the very least offers an interesting glimpse into broadcasting history.