Larry Rifkin - No Dead Air

https://larryrifkin.net/

The Big Idea: In his compelling career memoir, Larry Rifkin, the programming executive for Connecticut Public Television for over a quarter of a century, shares his story and unique insights into the PBS system, and touches upon the many changes he has seen in the broadcasting industry over the span of his career
.The So-What: Rifkin was responsible for bringing Barney & Friends to PBS. Threatened with cancellation shortly after its premiere on PBS in April, 1992, it went on to become one of the most successful children’s television series in history. Without Rifkin, the phenomenon would never have occurred. In an upcoming documentary, I Love You, You Hate Me (https://deadline.com/2022/08/peacock-virtual-docfest-lineup-joe-berlinger-shadowland-rosa-parks-prince-andrew-documentaries-1235100853/), on Peacock TV, Rifkin is interviewed, as is his daughter, Leora, through whose eyes he envisioned the potential of the property.
Key Messages: In his new book, No Dead Air: Career Reflections From the TV Executive Who Saved Barney the Dinosaur From Extinction (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GTRX5NL/ref=tsm_1_tp_tc), Rifkin reflects on an improbable career that spawned two groundbreaking hits, Barney & Friends and UConn Women’s Basketball. Each of these properties provided the impetus for changes in the industry. The first led to much more preschool programming on television and the other catapulted women’s sports onto the small screen. He can discuss:
·How he (and his 4-year-old daughter, Leora) discovered Barney and brought it to national prominence.
·How a two hundred million year old (two dinosaur years), six-foot tall (sometimes seven-feet) purple tyrannosaurus-rex with a green tummy, green spots on his back and tail, and yellow toes, came to open children's eyes to the joys of learning and discovery, to the wonders of make-believe, and to the beauty of unconditional love.
·How (and why) Barney was cancelled by PBS just after it went on the air.
·How he took women’s basketball from obscurity to a national pastime, making it the most transformative local franchise on PBS.
·How being the programming executive for one state's PBS network put him in a position of managing this remarkable property while staying close to home and never working in a major media center.
·Celebrity tales about his work with Carole King, Charlton Heston, Alan Alda, Ringo, Geno Auriemma, and many others.
The Source: Larry Rifkin is best known for his nearly thirty years as programming chief for Connecticut Public Television. Under his leadership, CPTV amassed over fifty Emmy Awards in the Boston/New England competition. In 2006, he was inducted into the Boston/New England Silver Circle, the regional television equivalent of a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is currently the host of American Trends (https://www.americatrendspodcast.com/) podcast, where he looks at changes in our society and our politics. Rifkin appears in the Barney Documentary, I Love You, You Hate Me (https://deadline.com/2022/08/peacock-virtual-docfest-lineup-joe-berlinger-shadowland-rosa-parks-prince-andrew-documentaries-1235100853/), on Peacock TV. His new book is No Dead Air: Career Reflections From the TV Executive Who Saved Barney the Dinosaur From Extinction (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GTRX5NL/ref=tsm_1_tp_tc) (independently published via Amazon’s KDP Books, September 21, 2021). The initial roll out of the book was in Connecticut, where he still lives, and included over twenty book talks, where he articulated his ideas passionately. A new chapter was added recently, focusing on the societal impact of Barney. Learn more at larryrifkin.net (https://larryrifkin.net/).
I’d be happy to arrange a bylined article, a review copy of his new book, and schedule an interview with Larry Rifkin.\