PBS OFFICIALS PAY HEED TO CRITICS

Responding to angry protests by critics over PBS's decision to debut Ken Burns's The War, a 14-hour documentary series about World War II, during the same week that the major networks are scheduled to unveil most of their fall shows, the public television broadcaster has moved the start date from Sept. 16 to Sept. 23. In a letter addressed to critics who had attended this year's winter press tour in Pasadena, PBS Chief Content Officer John Boland wrote, "In setting the official broadcast schedule for The War we took a number of factors into consideration, including your important concerns." In her column today (Friday), Washington Post TV writer Lisa de Moraes wrote: "The critics, who have grown used to being ignored by all networks and most viewers ... were stunned."

02/02/2007