Chronicles Revisited Podcast 18 — The Public's Broadcaster
Summary
Host S.M. Oliva honors the late Stuart Shafé, principal host of PBS’s *Computer Chronicles*, by tracing his career from a PBS station manager to a pioneering tech journalist. The episode details Shafé’s early work in American Samoa and San Mateo, where he launched the show with initial host Jim Warren before taking over himself. It highlights key moments, including securing funding from Micro Focus after Steve Jobs rejected sponsorship, and navigating editorial conflicts over artificial intelligence coverage.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Remembering Stuart Shafé and Computer Chronicles
Shafé's Early Life: Journalism, Law, and ABC News
American Samoa: History and the Birth of Educational TV
Conflict with Governor Hayden over Educational TV Reforms
Political Controversy: The 1972 Referendum and Hatch Act
Return to California: KCSM and Proposition 13 Impact
KCSM Expansion: Channel Swap and Public Broadcasting Mission
Origins of Computer Chronicles: Jim Warren and Early Episodes
Funding the Show: Apple, Gary Kildall, and Micro Focus
AI Debate: SRI, John McCarthy, and Hubert Dreyfus
Public TV Advertising Experiment and Political Backlash
Move to WITF: Cross-Country Commute for Computer Chronicles
WITF Success: Financial Turnaround and Local News Ambitions
PCTV Era: Merging with PC Connection and Microsoft Ties
Later Years: Internet Archive, Academia, and Legacy
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