New York Public Television Goes to War.

In A Region-Wide Broadcast, Web And Outreach Event, Thirteen/WNET And WLIW21 Join Forces With The Community To Remember New Yorkers' Experiences In World War II

War Stories Web Site To Preserve Oral Histories Of World War II Vets - The Public Are Invited To Submit Their Own Video Interviews

Local Documentaries - Including Viewer-Generated Content - To Explore New Yorkers' Memories Of The Second World War

Sneak Preview Of The Epic New PBS Series The War - A Ken Burns Film Airs Wednesday, August 29 at 10:30 p.m. On Thirteen

NEW YORK -- The Second World War left America a legacy of stories. The men and women who served in World War II or lived through it on the home front were forever transformed, and their experiences are our nation's most vital history. Many of those stories belong to New Yorkers, or to the parents and grandparents of the people who make up the great mosaic of the New York tri-state area today.

Now, building on the national interest in World War II being sparked by the approaching premiere of the epic PBS series The War - A Ken Burns Film, New York public television stations Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 are collaborating to present a major multi-media event to remember, share and preserve the experiences of World War II through the eyes of New Yorkers.

"People throughout this great metropolis were touched by the events of World War II, and their stories are worth their weight in gold," said Neal Shapiro, president of Thirteen/WNET. "We have so much to learn from our friends, neighbors, and family members about the war and the indelible changes it left on our society. This initiative is an opportunity for us all to come together as a community to hear these stories, gain a deeper understanding of the war's meaning, and to preserve this history before it disappears."

"This is the kind of enlightening, educational service that only public television provides," said Terrel Cass, president of WLIW21. "Together, we can remember a time of unparalleled drama in our recent past, help a new generation of young people learn about the significance of the World War II era in America's history, and use the resources of our public television stations to create a vital contribution to the life of our community."

A Web Of War Stories

At the heart of the event is the War Stories Web site. This unique online destination is designed to gather first-hand recollections of the diverse men and women who lived through the war - wherever they were and in whatever capacity they experienced it. Members of the public - especially members of the New York tri-state area community - are encouraged to record their own video interviews with relatives, friends or acquaintances who remember World War II. They can then upload their video interviews to the site, where they will become part of a public Web archive of personal accounts, freely available for viewing by all. The War Stories site includes helpful information on how to conduct an interview and simple instructions on how to upload a video. Participation is free of charge.

Some of the videos contributed to the site may be chosen for use in the new documentary New York War Stories, which will premiere online at Thirteen.org and WLIW.org and air on Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 in September (see below).

Beginning in late July, visitors to the War Stories site will also be able to post and read written narratives as well as submit and watch video interviews.

It is envisioned that the War Stories site will continue in operation indefinitely, providing an enduring archive of these invaluable and illuminating historical documents.

The War Stories site is accessible through the link on the Thirteen and WLIW21 online home pages (www.thirteen.org and www.wliw.org). Videos may also be mailed in to P.O. Box 1313, New York, NY 10116.

Call 212-560-2888 for more information.

Local Docs Capture New York At War

To bring the themes of Ken Burns's The War home to the New York metro-area community, WLIW21 is creating two new documentaries - New York Goes to War and New York War Stories - that focus specifically on New York City's experience of the global conflict.

New York Goes to War - a two-part special - will bring the local World War II experience to life through the stories of diverse characters like "The Soldier and His Sweetheart," the story of a brave Hispanic-American soldier who was wounded in the final months of the war and had to cope with the prognosis that he would never walk again; "The Tanker," a Harlem man who became a member of the first African-American tank battalion to see combat; "The Prisoner of War," a Jewish soldier from Borough Park, Brooklyn captured by German soldiers; "The Thunderbolt Maker," an Italian-American woman from Long Island who contributed to the war effort as a riveter; and others.

New York War Stories will bring together New Yorkers' memories of a specific and particularly dramatic time in their lives and in the life of New York City. The documentary will include narratives and user-generated videos submitted either through the War Stories Web site (see above) or sent directly to the stations. The film will range from the naive hopefulness of the New York World's Fair in 1939 to the dropping of the atomic bomb and its aftermath.

New York Goes to War and New York War Stories will premiere online at Thirteen.org and WLIW.org on September 15, and air on Thirteen and WLIW21 in conjunction with the national PBS premiere of The War.

New York Goes to War Part I will have its broadcast premiere Thursday, September 20 at 8 p.m. on WLIW21 and at 9 p.m. on Thirteen.

New York War Stories will have its broadcast premiere Saturday September 22 at 8 p.m. on WLIW21 and at 9 p.m. on Thirteen.

New York Goes to War Part II will have its broadcast premiere Wednesday, September 26 at 9 p.m. on WLIW21 and Thursday, September 27 at 8 p.m. on Thirteen.

The War - A Ken Burns Film

The War - A Ken Burns Film will premiere Sunday, September 23 at 8 p.m. on Thirteen and Sunday, September 23 at 10 p.m. on WLIW.

This monumental new series by Ken Burns (creator of The Civil War, Jazz and Baseball) tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessential American towns. The series explores the intimate humanity of this tragic time in history and demonstrates that in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives.

An exclusive "first look" at the 151/2-hour series -- PBS Previews: The War - A Ken Burns Film -- will air Wednesday August 29 at 10:30 p.m. on Thirteen.

Teaching The War To A New Generation

As part of their shared mission to use public media to educate and enlighten, Thirteen and WLIW21 will be engaging in an ongoing campaign to expand the value and impact of The War - A Ken Burns Film, the War Stories Web site, and the locally produced documentaries to students and educators throughout the New York metro community. The stations will be collaborating with a youth media organization to work with a group of young people in the creation of a mini-documentary about life in New York during World War II, and to host training sessions for students in the techniques of conducting oral interviews production documentaries.

A student contest, open to tri-state residents in grades 8-12, will invite applications to submit a 2- to 10-minute multimedia project about life in New York during World War II or about a New Yorker who served in the war.

Screenings and panel discussions for educators are also planned.

"Through the summer, into the fall, and beyond, we hope to be spurring discussion and discovery about this landmark historical event," said Shapiro. "It promises to be an unforgettable conversation."

Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Secrets of the Dead, NOW With David Brancaccio, and Cyberchase - as well as the work of Bill Moyers - to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The Thirteen Walking Tours, New York Voices, and Reel New York. Thirteen extends the impact of its television productions through educational and community outreach projects - including the Celebration of Teaching and Learning - as well as Web sites and other digital media platforms. More information can be found at: www.thirteen.org.

WLIW New York is an innovator in broadcasting, production and distribution for public television. A leading producer of fundraising programming for PBS, WLIW brings US audiences the popular Visions aerial series, cultural performance specials like Tango: The Spirit of Argentina, and a 15-part series of cultural documentaries that includes profiles of Asian Indian, Mexican and Polish American communities. WLIW's groundbreaking independent distribution model brings US audiences live daily broadcasts of BBC World News, Consuelo Mack WealthTrack and Wild Chronicles. WLIW is also presenting station for the Emmy award-winning PBS KIDS series Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks. In the tri-state area, WLIW's diverse programming schedule earns the distinction of fourth most-watched in the country, a destination for viewers of all ages, featuring public television favorites from PBS KIDS to celebrity chefs in the kitchen, enhanced by a rich local public affairs lineup. More information about WLIW can be found at www.wliw.org.