PBS’ New ‘Need to Know’ Gets an EP

By kevin 

Veteran producer Shelley Lewis is joining WNET to EP the new PBS program “Need to Know.”

The show is a “cross-media current affairs magazine” that operates online during the week and culminates with a one-hour, weekly broadcast. It launches May 7th.

Lewis has been an executive producer on CNN’s “American Morning with Paula Zahn” and “Greenfield at Large” as well as ABC News’ “Good Morning America” and “World News Now.”

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Press release after the jump.


WNET.ORG Appoints Shelley Lewis Executive Producer for Need To Know on PBS
New Weekly Public Media Project To Launch On-Air and Online May 7, 2010 on PBS

New York, NY – February 25, 2010 – WNET.ORG announced today the appointment of Shelley Lewis as Executive Producer for Need To Know – a new cross-media current affairs magazine to be produced by Creative News Group (CNG) for WNET.ORG, the premier public media provider for the New York Metropolitan area and parent company to public broadcast outlets THIRTEEN and WLIW21. Need To Know is slated to premiere Friday, May 7 at 8:30 pm on PBS.

With more than 25 years of experience, Lewis will lead the production team to aggregate and create original news content for Need To Know’s broadcast and web site.

First announced by PBS in January 2010, Need To Know will engage a wide community of producers, journalists and citizen reporters to offer audiences the latest and in-depth coverage of five primary beats: the Economy; the Environment and Energy; Health; Security; and Culture. Each week’s one-hour broadcast will feature documentary-style field reports, tailored to a national and local audience. The weekly series will be one of many THIRTEEN and WLIW21-produced programs to be produced at WNET.ORG’s new flagship studio at Lincoln Center.

“Need To Know continues WNET.ORG’s long-standing tradition of offering in-depth, accurate and relevant news and public affairs programming to PBS viewers,” said Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET.ORG. “Shelley’s extensive news broadcast experience provides a fresh, creative perspective to catapult Need To Know to the forefront of innovative broadcast and online news reporting.”

Prior to joining WNET.ORG, Lewis served as executive producer of CNN’s American Morning with Paula Zahn and Greenfield at Large. Previously, Lewis was executive producer for ABC News Productions, where she developed, launched and produced a number of ABC News programs, including Good Morning America, World News Now and Lifetime Live, among others.

Most recently, Lewis was the co-creator and chief programming officer of Howdini.com, a how-to video website for women offering videos and advice on a variety of lifestyle topics. Lewis was the co-creator and senior vice president of programming for Air America Radio. She is also the author of “Five lessons I didn’t Learn From Breast Cancer (And One Big One I Did)” (Nal, May 2008).

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