August, 2014

Via Studios Global nominated for 2 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards

Via Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania television market receives 2 nominations as the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announces the nominees for 32nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards which will be presented Saturday, September 20, 2014 in Philadelphia, PA.

The “Chiaroscuro Jazz Conservancy Sessions: The Berwick Area Stage Band” which aired October 28, 2013 on WVIA-TV, is nominated in the Education/Schools - Program/Special category, while the WVIA Original Documentary Film, “Seeking the Greatest Good,” which premiered April 22, 2013 on WVIA-TV is nominated in the Outstanding Documentary category.

The “Chiaroscuro Jazz Conservancy Sessions: The Berwick Area Stage Band” follows Jazz pianist and Chiaroscuro Records artist Bill Mays and 4 other professional musicians as they conduct a day-long jazz education workshop with the Berwick Area Stage Band and then perform with them in a special final performance for a live audience in the Sordoni High Definition Theater at the WVIA Public Media Studios. This program was part of WVIA's Chiaroscuro in the Schools project, which is funded by a generous grant from the Degenstein Foundation and was produced in partnership with the Pennsylvania Jazz Alliance and Susquehanna University.

The WVIA Original Documentary Film, “Seeking the Greatest Good,” chronicles the legacy of Gifford Pinchot's conservation philosophy, and celebrates its value for understanding and solving the conservation challenges of our own era. The film also showcases the value of the Pinchot Institute’s research and outreach programs to communities and the sustainable management of local resources, from the waters of the Delaware River to the forests of the Pacific Northwest and Ecuador.

“The WVIA programs honored this year by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences show Via Studios Global’s and WVIA’s commitment of honoring our area’s rich history; proudly showcasing local stories and the young talent from our region to national audiences.” Tom Currá, CEO/President and Executive Producer at WVIA Public Media, said. “Through strong partnerships with Grey Towers Heritage Association, Pinchot Institute for Conservation in Milford, Pennsylvania, award winning Chiaroscuro Jazz artists and the Berwick, Pennsylvania school district, our Emmy® nominated Via Studios Global production team was able to produce programs that showcase the dedication and professionalism that members and viewers of WVIA have grown to expect.”

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was founded in 1957, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter was chartered in 1981. It is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy® Award for News, Sports, Programming, Public Service and Technology.

WVIA Public Media is a catalyst, convener and educator, using media, partnerships, powerful ideas and programs to improve lives and advance the best attributes of an enlightened society.

June, 2014

On Location with Demo Guys


VIA Studios Global has been doing some safe crackin' with the team from Demo Guys! Check back for more updates on this exciting series.

September, 2013

A New Production coming soon from VIA Stuidos Global!


The Next Big WVIA Event, ‘The K-12 Conversation’ premieres Oct 7 on WVIA-TV

(2013-9-18)

PITTSTON, PA (wvia) – The WVIA Original Series “The K-12 Conversation” is a contemporary topics discussion about all things education: for parents, students, teachers, administrators, academics and policymakers. The series takes a sweeping look at education in America to get to the heart of what we want and what we are getting from our public education system. Watch the broadcast series premiere of “The K-12 Conversation,” Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. on WVIA-TV.

The topic of the series premiere affects students in 45 states and the District of Columbia– the pros & cons of the Common Core Initiative for college and career ready standards. Since Common Core’s adoption, the education community has been working to prepare students for a much more challenging experience, and there are concerns about how students are tested, how the new system will be funded, how teachers will be evaluated, and whether creativity will be adequately encouraged.

So how do we make sure our graduating seniors are college and career ready? And is Common Core the answer? Our conversation will include former PA Department of Education Secretary, Ron Tomalis, GE Foundation Director of Education, Kelli Wells, Youth Motivational Speaker and Diversity Educator, Omekongo Dibinga and Founding CAO of the Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School, Vince Rizzo.

The host of “The K-12 Conversation” is W.J. O’Reilly, who was trained at Harvard. O’Reilly has voiced his commentary on AC360, The Situation Room, CNN’s Election 2012 Roundtable and CNN’s Money Summit. As an educator, he has co-founded several public and private schools and is currently headmaster of The Hanal School in Ridgefield Park, NJ. Encore presentations of “The K-12 Conversation” can be seen Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., Monday, Oct 28 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31 at 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3:30 p.m. on WVIA-TV.

“The K-12 Conversation” television series is produced by Via Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media and will be broadcast on all PBS stations throughout Pennsylvania.

For a preview of “The K-12 Conversation” click here

March, 2014

The documentary film, ‘Little League®: A History’ explores one of America’s iconic institutions


(2014-03-07)

PITTSTON, PA (WVIA) – The documentary film, "Little League®: A History," which is currently in production and set to premiere in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania on June 9, 2014 on WVIA Public Media and on PBS stations across the country throughout this summer, chronicles and celebrates Little League’s 75-year contribution to American culture and to the quality of life for millions around the world today.

More than 2 million boys and girls play Little League Baseball ® and Softball. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers manage, coach, or in some way support the organization.

Local leagues can be found in every state and in more than 80 countries worldwide. The world's largest organized youth sports program grew from a lilac bush, tripped over in the summer of 1938 by Carl Stotz, a young-at-heart uncle playing catch with his nephews in his hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

He promised them he'd find a field they could play on that was free from obstacles, and that they'd have uniforms and proper equipment. Then he set out to make good on his promise, and in doing so he made history.

Throughout the film, narrated by legendary baseball broadcaster Vin Scully, former Little League players and others impart a human touch to the historical highlights.

Interviewees include: President George W. Bush, the only President to have played Little League, NASA Space Shuttle Commander Story Musgrave, James Gehron, nephew of Little League founder Carl Stotz and the little boy for whom Stotz invented Little League in 1939, Karen Stotz Myers and Monya Stotz Adkins, Carl Stotz's daughters, former Los Angeles Dodger Owner Peter O'Malley, current Cincinnati Reds star Todd Frazier, Allan "Bud" Selig, Major League Baseball Commissioner, Carolyn King, whose 1973 lawsuit against Little League contributed to the league's landmark policy reversal of prohibiting girls from playing Little League Baseball, Kathryn "Tubby" Johnston Massar (the first girl to ever play Little League) and three surviving members of the original Little League® team formed in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1939.

"For 75 years and counting Little League® has brought families, neighbors, and whole communities together to cheer on and support their teams," said WVIA Public Media President, CEO and Executive Producer Tom Currá. "Now through the efforts of our Emmy® award winning team, 'Little League®: A History' goes deep past the fences of your neighborhood ballpark into the American institution that is Little League®."

Watch the trailer for "Little League®: A History" here - http://on-demand.wvia.org/video/2365151406/

Major funding for "Little League®: A History" is provided by Russell Athletic®. The film is produced by Via Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media and will be distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT).

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December, 2013

Via Studios Global’s Emmy® winning program “Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming" to be shown in Ireland on TG4 on January 3, 2014


(2013-12-19)
Pittston, PA - The Emmy® Award winning “Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming" will be broadcast in Ireland for the first time on Friday, January 3, 2014 at 11:05pm on TG4, the Irish language television channel.

“Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming” was recorded live in high definition and in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound on May 18, 2012, as the critically acclaimed Irish-American group Cherish the Ladies headlined an unforgettable night of entertainment at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Bucknell University in historic Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Our host for the evening is Joanie Madden, one of the most mercurial figures in Irish music today. She’s a champion flute and whistle player and Grammy® Award winner who joins forces with the fabulous musicianship of Cherish the Ladies along with Grammy® nominated legendary vocalist Maura O’Connell, seven of the most celebrated and accomplished dancers in the world and an 11-piece string ensemble featuring some of the finest musicians in the northeast.

Songs performed include “The Boat to Bofin”, "Teddy O'Neill", “O’Carolan” Medley", "Cat's Meow Jig", "Maggie", "The Hunt", “Trouble in the Fields”, "Longing For Home", “Chair Dance”, "Shades of Gloria", "The Old Maids of Galway”, “Down By The Salley Gardens”, and “Kerry Polka”.

“Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming” won an Emmy® Award during the 31st annual Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards in Philadelphia, PA in the Best Director - Live or Live-To-Tape category.

“Through a partnership with TG4, we look forward to showcasing the talents of Joanie Madden and company with the broadcast premiere of “Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming” to Irish television,” said Tom Currá, president and chief executive officer of Via Studios Global and WVIA Public Media. “We hope they enjoy the program as much as we do in the states.”

TG4, the Irish language television channel is an independent statutory entity (Teilifís na Gaeilge). The channel has been on-air since late 1996. TG4 is a free-to-air channel, available across all the viewing platforms, with a strong viewer base throughout the island of Ireland. Learn more about TG4 at http://www.tg4.ie/en/index.html.

“Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming” was produced in a partnership between Via Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media, Cherish the Ladies and Bucknell University and distributed by American Public Television (APT). Watch previews and learn more about “Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming” at http://wvia.org/VSG/cherish.html.

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September, 2013

Peg + Cat Behind the Scenes Promos


PBS has partnered with VIA Studios Global to produce 4 behind-the-scenes promos for their upcoming children's series "Peg + Cat". VSG was thrilled to work with the wonderful folks at PBS and you can check out the first promo below.

September, 2013

A New Production coming soon from VIA Stuidos Global!


The Next Big WVIA Event, ‘The K-12 Conversation’ premieres Oct 7 on WVIA-TV

(2013-9-18)

PITTSTON, PA (wvia) – The WVIA Original Series “The K-12 Conversation” is a contemporary topics discussion about all things education: for parents, students, teachers, administrators, academics and policymakers. The series takes a sweeping look at education in America to get to the heart of what we want and what we are getting from our public education system. Watch the broadcast series premiere of “The K-12 Conversation,” Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. on WVIA-TV.

The topic of the series premiere affects students in 45 states and the District of Columbia– the pros & cons of the Common Core Initiative for college and career ready standards. Since Common Core’s adoption, the education community has been working to prepare students for a much more challenging experience, and there are concerns about how students are tested, how the new system will be funded, how teachers will be evaluated, and whether creativity will be adequately encouraged.

So how do we make sure our graduating seniors are college and career ready? And is Common Core the answer? Our conversation will include former PA Department of Education Secretary, Ron Tomalis, GE Foundation Director of Education, Kelli Wells, Youth Motivational Speaker and Diversity Educator, Omekongo Dibinga and Founding CAO of the Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School, Vince Rizzo.

The host of “The K-12 Conversation” is W.J. O’Reilly, who was trained at Harvard. O’Reilly has voiced his commentary on AC360, The Situation Room, CNN’s Election 2012 Roundtable and CNN’s Money Summit. As an educator, he has co-founded several public and private schools and is currently headmaster of The Hanal School in Ridgefield Park, NJ. Encore presentations of “The K-12 Conversation” can be seen Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., Monday, Oct 28 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31 at 8:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3:30 p.m. on WVIA-TV.

“The K-12 Conversation” television series is produced by Via Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media and will be broadcast on all PBS stations throughout Pennsylvania.

For a preview of “The K-12 Conversation” click here

September, 2013

WVIA’s Ben Payavis II Wins a Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Award for Best Director


(2013-9-10)

Pittston, PA (WVIA) – On Saturday, Sept. 7, Ben Payavis II, vice-president of WVIA Production & VIA Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media won an Emmy® Award during the 31st annual Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards in Philadelphia, PA. Ben won the Emmy® Award in the Best Director - Live or Live-To-Tape category for the WVIA original presentation, “Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming,” which premiered January 26, 2013 on WVIA-TV.

“Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming,” was recorded live in high definition and in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound at the 1,200 seat Weis Center for the Performing Arts, an architecturally striking and acoustically exceptional performance hall on the campus of Bucknell University in historic Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The special offers a unique blend of virtuosi instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step dancing starring one of the world’s finest Irish music ensembles. Joanie Madden, a champion flute and whistle player and Grammy® Award winner joined forces with the fabulous musicianship of Cherish the Ladies and Grammy® nominated legendary vocalist Maura O’Connell. “Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming” was produced in a partnership between Via Studios Global, a division of WVIA Public Media, Cherish the Ladies and Bucknell University and distributed by American Public Television (APT).

WVIA was also nominated in the Human Interest Program/Special category for an episode of its long-running program State of Pennsylvania titled "Armed Guards In NEPA's Schools?"

“The recognition of Ben’s talent by his peers is a true testament of the creativity and professionalism he and his team bring to VIA Studios Global, the production division of WVIA.” Tom Currá, President, CEO & Executive Producer at WVIA Public Media, said. “WVIA is proud to have Ben leading our efforts to produce the best entertaining pledge programming for public television stations throughout the country.”

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was founded in 1957, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter was chartered in 1981. It is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy® Award for News, Sports, Programming, Public Service and Technology.

September, 2013

Exclusive sneak peek of Cherish the Ladies


Check out this exclusive clip of VSG's current production - Cherish the Ladies!

September, 2012

VIA Studios Global wins 2 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards


We're proud to announce that VIA Studios Global has recieved prestigious Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards this past Saturday for its productions of the 2011 Little League Challenger Exhibition Game and Remembering the Scranton Sirens.

July, 2012

Welcome to the new viastudiosglobal.com!


We've moved our online presence to a new home! We here at VSG are very excited about this new site, and we hope you enjoy it too. Feel free to explore and let us know what you think!

May, 2012

Cherish the Ladies


VSG has recently completed principal production on a brand new High-Def presentation of the female Irish ensemble Cherish the Ladies. Post production is currently underway in preparation for an Autumn release. Check back for more details about this exciting production!

May, 2011

VIA Studios Global featured in Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal


VIA Studios Global has been the focus of a recent feature in the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal.

The article, penned by Elizabeth Zygmunt, can be viewed by clicking on the image to the left.