PBS Honors President Gerald R. Ford With Broadcast of Award-Winning Documentary on His Life

PBS Honors President Gerald R. Ford With Broadcast of Award-Winning Documentary on His Life

Produced by WGVU Grand Rapids, First National Release of Film Available Beginning December 28 on PBS Stations

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To honor the life of President Gerald R. Ford, PBS announced today that it is making available to public television stations nationwide an award-winning documentary tracing President Ford's formative years through his presidency. Produced by WGVU, the public television station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, President Ford's hometown, the 60-minute documentary will be available beginning December 28 to PBS stations (check local listings).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061106/DCM029LOGO-c )

TIME AND CHANCE: GERALD FORD'S APPOINTMENT WITH HISTORY, adapted in part from James M. Cannon's book of the same title, is a documentary about the man who was never elected to higher office but who served in the presidency for nearly 1,000 days in 1974-77, when the nation was challenged by war, inflation and political turmoil. The film traces Ford's formative years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and chronicles his political career as a 13-term congressman, vice president and president. It is the first full-scale documentary about the nation's 38th president.

Ford is prominently profiled in the program during the dark days of Watergate and the politically turbulent 1970s. The film also profiles Betty Ford and the role she played as one of the most influential first ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt.

TIME AND CHANCE includes detailed interviews with and speech excerpts from President Ford; former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; former President George H.W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney (who served as Ford's White House chief of staff); L. William Seidman, CNBC and former Ford economic advisor; James M. Cannon, Ford biographer, journalist, author, political advisor; former President Jimmy Carter; Marty Allen, president of the Ford Presidential Foundation; Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm; Senator Edward Kennedy; and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In the film, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says of Ford, "I think he saved the country. In fact, he saved it in such a matter-of-fact way that he isn't given any credit for it."

The film has received a 2004 Crystal Award of Excellence from the Communicator Awards; a 2005 MAB Merit Award for Best News Special; a 2005 Associated Press Award for Best News Documentary; a 2005 Award of Excellence from the Videographer Awards; a 2005 CINE Golden Eagle Award; a 2005 Best in Show for writing and a Gold Award in the documentary/biography category from the Aurora Awards; and a 2005 Silver Davey Award. The film was also nominated for an EMMY Award in Michigan and has been included in the Museum of Broadcast Communications Documentary Archives.

TIME AND CHANCE has been made available to PBS stations nationwide. Consult PBS listings in local areas for airdates and times. Copies of TIME AND CHANCE, as well as of WGVU Productions' 30-minute film "Gerald R. Ford: Turning 90" are available for purchase by calling 800/442-2771 or by visiting WGVU's online store at wgvu.org/store.

Underwriters: Public Television Viewers and PBS. Producer: WGVU Grand Rapids. Producer/writer: Mike Grass. Director: Rob Byrd. Narrator: Will Lyman. Videographers: Rob Byrd, Phillip A. Lane and Phil Blauw. Executive producers: Matthew E. McLogan and Ken Kolbe. General Manager, WGVU: Michael T. Walenta. Format: CC Stereo

PBS is a media enterprise that serves 354 public noncommercial television stations and reaches almost 90 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (pbskids.org), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.

WGVU's continued mission is to provide educational, informative and entertaining programs and events to the West Michigan community as a service of Grand Valley State University.

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Source: PBS

CONTACT: Pamela Holtz of WGVU, +1-616-331-6818, holtzp@gvsu.edu; or
Carrie Johnson of PBS, +1-703-739-5129, cjohnson@pbs.org

Web site: http://www.pbs.org/
http://www.wgvu.org/store

NOTE TO EDITORS: A 30-minute preview clip is available via streaming video at wgvu.org/ford/index.html. Additional photos and press materials are available on PBS PressRoom (pbs.org/pressroom).

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