President’s Message

The curtain has come down for the final time on the beloved Masterpiece series Downton Abbey . For six years we at the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN), parent company of Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR), laughed and cried along with viewers over the exploits of the Crawley family and their servants.

Of course we are sad that the story is ove,r but we are pleased that so many Downton viewers joined us for our Say Farewell to Downton Abbey event at the Saybrook Point Inn on March 6. Fans came out to spend time with old friends and make new ones at this event celebrating the iconic series. Thank you to those who attended, and thank you to all of the Downton fans who shared our passion for this remarkable program.

Downton may have come to an end, but CPTV has many exciting new programs to offer. One of these is Jackie Robinson , the latest documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns. Premiering this April on CPTV, Jackie Robinson profiles the man who acted as a trailblazer both on and off the baseball field. In celebration of the film, we will host a special preview event on Friday, April 8. This event will be held at the Palace Theatre in Stamford and will include a VIP preview of the film; live music by award-winning saxophonist Albert Rivera; and a postpreview Q-and-A with ESPN analyst and retired Major League Baseball player Doug Glanville . For more information on the film and how you can attend the event, see our feature story in this issue.

Finally, we are pleased to announce that eight public media stations in New England, led by CPBN, have established the New England News Collaborative (NENC). This regional news collaborative will produce multimedia reporting projects focused on issues facing New England and its residents, with topics ranging from transportation infrastructure to immigration. Reports will be broadcast over the air, online, and via a series of public town hall-style meetings. We look forward to providing in-depth, local-minded reports through our work with the NENC. Fo r more information, visit CPBN.org. From first-rate public television offerings to exciting journalistic endeavors, we at CPBN could not provide any of it without our members; thank you for your support

is published monthly as a supplement in Connecticut Magazine by Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Connecticut Magazine, 100 Gando Drive, New Haven, CT 06513, is published monthly by Digital First Media, Lower Makefield Corporate Center; 790 Township Line Road, 3rd Floor, Yardley, PA 19067. Editorial content for "What’s On!”, the 16-page program guide devoted to CPTV and WNPR, is determined by Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN), a nonprofit corporation chartered by the state of Connecticut

Jeffrey S. Hoffman/Chair, Tom Barnes/Vice Chair, Brian A. Renstrom /Vice Chair Joyce Ahrens, Tim Bannon, Robert Blocker, Francisco L. Borges, Paul Bucha, Gregory Butler, Christopher Campbell, Gayle Capozzalo, Arnold Chase, Daniel Crown, Christopher Dadlez, Arthur Diedrick, Maryam Elahi, Jeffrey Flaks, Jerry Franklin (ex officio), Lynn Fusco, Peter G. Kelly, Thea Montanez, William Nickerson, George Norfleet, Michael Parker, Faye Preston, Michael Price, Eugene M. Salorio, Laura Lee Simon (emerita) John Soto, E. Roger Williams, Jay Youngling, Michael Zebarth

Radha Radhakrishnan/Co-Chair, Alexia Bouckoms/Co-Chair, Elaine Elisabeth Barrie, Eric Bennett, Tanya Shriver Castiglione, Linda Cavanaugh, Rocio Chang, Angie Chatman, Tarah S. Cherry, Thomas J. Colangelo, Trillon Dukes, Aaron Frankel, Henry Link, Mary Katherine Long, Vivian Martinez-Rivera, Francis Peters, Kay Rahardjo, Natasha Samuels, Meher Shulman, Kerrie Sullivan, Maisa Tisdale, Steven H. Werlin, Neena Wilson