WXXI President & CEO Chris Hastings invites you to join him Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. on WXXI’s YouTube channel or on WXXI-TV for a Community Town Hall, where he’ll share his vision for the future and talk with key members of our team about our commitment to serving this region. The Town Hall will conclude with a moderated Q&A, with questions submitted by YOU!

Chris will be joined by:

• Julio Sáenz, Chief Content Officer
• Cara Rager, MS. Ed., Director of Early Learning
• Evan Dawson, host of “Connections”

Here are ways you can participate:

• Submit a question below
• Enter for the chance to be part of the studio audience below
• Then watch Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. on WXXI-TV and WXXI YouTube channel

If you are a WXXI member and have PBS Passport, you can watch Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me on demand.

Not a member? You can join here and then you’ll have access to everything on PBS Passport.

Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me shares the story of legendary singer Teddy Pendergrass, the man who would have been the biggest R&B artist of all time. It’s a story of a childhood in a Philadelphia ghetto; of the scandalous deaths of his father and first manager; of sex, drugs, money and global fame; of the triumph against injustice; and of the tragic accident that changed his life forever, at the age of only 31.

Despite poverty, racism, and violence, Pendergrass managed to become one of the first African American artists to go multi-platinum repeatedly. He was a man who actively championed the rights of Black artists when discrimination was rife, and a man who, in the years after becoming quadriplegic, overcame depression and thoughts of suicide and resumed doing what he loved best — making music. He left a priceless legacy after his death with the music he made and the people he touched.

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in projects that attempt to address the harm done by urban highways – covering them up, transforming them into boulevards, or removing them entirely. But even as the problems with these structures are easy to see, the right solution for any given city is usually not obvious. Often, it’s contentious. 

Ian Coss, host of the Peabody-Award winning podcast “The Big Dig,” is taking the show on the road to do live tapings in different cities facing the same issue – in Seattle, Portland, Austin, Syracuse, Baltimore and now Rochester!

WXXI News is pleased to host this live taping of the podcast on Tuesday, April 7th, at WXXI’s studio, where Ian will be joined by a panel of guests to unpack the issues facing Rochester’s Inner Loop.

Event Details:

Hosted by: WXXI News
What: Live taping of “The Big Dig” podcast
When: Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m., Doors open at 6 p.m.
Where: WXXI’s Studios (280 State Street)
Tickets: Free but reservations are required.

REGISTRATION TO BE PART OF THE STUDIO AUDIENCE COMING SOON!

More about the podcast:

“The Big Dig” from GBH News explores Boston’s controversial effort to bury a downtown highway – once the most expensive public works project in American history – and the lessons that it holds for the ambitious infrastructure ideas of today. The series was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 by the New Yorker and one of the best podcasts of all time by Time Magazine.

The live tapings will be released as part of a new season of “The Big Dig” podcast, which was honored with a Peabody Award in 2024. It spent over six weeks in the top 100 shows on Apple Podcasts.

You had us at “Hello, Neighbor.”

Share kindness, friendship, and inclusion on Valentine’s Day with this card inspired by one of the most caring, considerate, and generous people that public media has ever known — Mister Rogers.

Click the pdf below to download this free WXXI created valentine to share with your favorite people.