I began working with Detroit Public Television in 2009, just as the station was leaving its longtime studios at Second Ave. and Bethune, headed for Wixom.
Yeah. Wixom.
A series of bungled negotiations, fueled by hard feelings between the station’s management and city officials (all long gone) resulted in a move-out that felt kind of like a sports team leaving. (Ok, maybe not quite that dramatic, but it was painful.)
I’m a diehard metro Detroiter in addition to being an actual Detroiter, but it just never sat right with me, public television in Detroit having its headquarters about a third of the way to Lansing.
So it’s beyond good news that the station, along with the shows I’ve hosted and co-hosted there, American Black Journal and One Detroit, will return to the city.
And it will do so in grand form: A new building in Milwaukee Junction, at the place where people like Henry Ford and the Fisher brothers established the city’s auto dominance. Accompanying the news of the move: a new name, Detroit PBS, which more closely links the local and national public media brands.
Here are 4 reasons I think Detroiters can be joyful, and hopeful, about Detroit PBS’ return to the city.
Detroit PBS purchased this property at 234 Piquette after an initial $5 million investment by the seller, resulting in an iconic structure that is also prepared for modern use. Credit: Detroit PBS
- History matters; Roots matter. Detroit PBS is a city original, founded, grown and nurtured by the city, its evolution and its incredible story of triumph, tragedy and rebirth. Public television has also been the most dedicated to the city’s people, as well. The show I host, American Black Journal, was created in 1969 (as Detroit Black Journal) to give Black Detroiters a platform for telling our own stories about our own community at a time when most other TV stations would not even put Black people on air.
- Detroit PBS is a key partner of BridgeDetroit. In fact, it was among our original partners when we launched in 2020. We have done important, fantastic work together, including the Black Church in Detroit series, which has highlighted and celebrated the role of the church in our community for four years, and one which earned an Emmy award in 2021.
- Media space, community space. DetroitPBS’ move to Detroit and construction of a new studio will also mark a harder pivot toward welcoming Detroiters into the places where media does its work. The new space, which has not been built out yet, will include large gathering spaces and other ways to bring the community in. Think of the possibilities for town halls, televised discussions and opportunities to bring newsmakers closer to Detroiters. The new Detroit PBS studio is being designed as a “public” space, where the people media serve are up close and personal. Engagement is the foundation for BridgeDetroit’s work, and we already work with Detroit PBS in this way. The move back to Detroit will enhance that part of our partnership, as well.
- Investing in the city’s future. Local media should contribute to the energy of renewal and improvement in the communities it covers. Milwaukee Junction used to be the core of the city’s automotive corridor but was in serious decline for a few decades. It’s coming back to life – in some areas very quickly – thanks to strong coordination between city planners and private investors. The deal that will bring Detroit PBS back to the city, and into Milwaukee Junction, is an outstanding example of that kind of energy. BridgeDetroit is already located in the Chroma building in that neighborhood; Detroit PBS’ new home is another way our priorities will align in the future.
Stephen Henderson is the founder of and executive advisor for BridgeDetroit. He is also the host of Detroit Today and American Black Journal on Detroit PBS.
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