To survey the viewing habits of the younger generation, Michael Kantor need look no farther than home.
“My three kids are all cord cutters,” he says. wryly. “When they watch a show, it’s usually on their phone.”
As the executive producer of PBS’s esteemed American Masters — the biography series that for 30 years has profiled leading figures in theater, film, television, music, sports, dance and politics — the issue of reaching Generations Y and Z is top of mind.
As the show — considered the gold standard of biographical documentary series — approaches its anniversary season, how does it reach young viewers who rarely turn on a television? And how does it maintain its status while other such series (think A&E’s Biography) have all but disappeared?
“In my view, TV is still the driver for all of this content you’re finding,” Kantor says. “But, as we are dedicated to reaching as many viewers as possible, we have had to adapt.”
Thus viewers can stream American Masters programming (as well as other PBS shows) for free on the PBS website for limited time periods; some of the documentaries also have a short theatrical release.
The series has boosted its presence on social media, is continuing its educational initiative (pbslearningmedia.org), provides a digital archive and recently debuted a podcast that will offer excerpts from more than 800 American Masters interviews.
Additionally, Kantor — an independent producer before joining Masters two years ago — is grouping programs that speak to excellence in a particular field. This past season’s musical lineup included B.B. King, Carole King, Fats Domino, Loretta Lynn and Janis Joplin.
Overall, Kantor has focused on subjects who are diverse both racially and professionally. Last fall the program joined forces with Latino Public Broadcasting for a documentary on Pedro E. Guerrero, a Mexican-American photographer who collaborated with the likes of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson.
Coming in December: Eero Saarinen, a Finnish architect, whose neo-futuristic work includes the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the main terminal of Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport.
“He’s a classic example of someone who moved the cultural needle,” Kantor says. “Millions are influenced by his work every day. The man led a fascinating life and died at age 51.”
While American Masters will keep its focus on the greatest names in the arts and culture — this fall television producer Norman Lear will be seen in the work of filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady — it will also include stories on lesser-known achievers.
Says Kantor: “We want to make sure we’re telling stories that no one else is.”
This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 7, 2016
