Ira Glass brings his series “This American Life” to television this spring – but the show that originates from Public Radio International and a public broadcasting station in Chicago, will be on Showtime, not on public television.
“Public television is terrible,” says Glass. “This isn’t the greatest thing for me to say, but it’s the truth. In terms of innovation and what they do, you know, it’s just not that interesting most of the time.”
Though he likes shows such as “Frontline,” Glass says, for the most part, public TV hasn’t lived up to the innovations and service of public radio.
“In fact,” he says, “the stations are more beholden to corporate interest than commercial TV.”
Besides, he says, “Showtime approached me. Public TV did not approach me. Showtime wanted to do this series.”
Had public TV even wanted to do it, the network would have taken two to three years to raise money to fund it first, Glass says.
“Whereas a network like Showtime, they say, `Come on. We’re going. We’re going.’ And then they can write the check, and basically we’re in production,” he says.
The six-episode first season of “This American Life” starts March 22 on Showtime.
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YES! PUBLIC TELEVISION IS TERRIBLE! PREACH, PREACHER!