Editing WNET (section)

===Neglecting public mission and mandate===
In late 2014, WNET programming chief Stephen Segaller received widespread criticism for proposing to push the multi award-winning documentary strands ''Independent Lens'' and ''[[POV (TV series)|POV]]'' out of a prime time slot and onto a secondary station, WLIW (Channel 21).<ref name="WNETPushDocs" /><ref name=PBSNeglectingMission>{{cite news|last1=Lear|first1=Norman|title=Is PBS Neglecting Its Mission?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/opinion/is-pbs-neglecting-its-mission.html|access-date=July 10, 2017|work=The New York Times(New York Edition)|issue=A23|date=April 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808000216/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/opinion/is-pbs-neglecting-its-mission.html|archive-date=August 8, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Over 2,000 documentarians signed a petition,<ref name="WNETPushDocs" /> stating that WNET's action would lead to the shows being marginalized by PBS affiliates nationwide and have a severe effect on cutting edge documentary filmmaking.<ref name="PBSNeglectingMission" /> Among the prominent opponents of rescheduling ''POV'' and ''Independent Lens'' were filmmakers Alex Gibney and [[Laura Poitras]], who had campaigned against a similar move by WNET in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Taking Action: PBS Needs Independents|url=http://www.kartemquin.com/news/4425/taking-action-pbs-needs-independents|website=Kartemquin.com|publisher=Kartemquin Films|access-date=July 10, 2017|date=March 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807235114/http://www.kartemquin.com/news/4425/taking-action-pbs-needs-independents|archive-date=August 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> TV producer [[Norman Lear]] wrote an [[op-ed]] in ''The New York Times'' accusing WNET and PBS of a ratings-chase that "could devastate independent documentary film making". He criticized the broadcaster for "threatening, for the second time in four years, to downgrade documentaries, which are at the heart of its public mission."<ref name="PBSNeglectingMission" /> Many of the subjects ''POV'' and ''Independent Lens'' covered – like the Koch brothers' influence on American politics in Alex Gibney's film, ''Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream'' — have been controversial,<ref name="WNETPushDocs" /><ref name="PBSNeglectingMission" /> leading the Indie Caucus, a group of Independent filmmakers to speculate if the provocative subjects they explored might also be relegating them to the more obscure TV schedule.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indie Caucus Response to Statements by Congress About Diverse PBS Documentaries|url=http://www.indiecaucus.org/blog/|website=Indiecaucus.org|publisher=Indie Caucus|access-date=July 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528173436/http://www.indiecaucus.org/blog/|archive-date=May 28, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Segaller said it was "preposterous" to suggest that WNET had a censorship agenda when both programs had run for more than a decade. "One disputatious moment in a many-year history does not a conspiracy make," he declared.<ref name="WNETPushDocs" /> In April 2015, WNET relented and restored both strands to their original slots.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rainey|first1=James|title=WNET And PBS Agreement Keeps 'POV,' 'Independent Lens' in Primetime|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/pbs-wnet-pov-independent-lens-1201478442/|website=Variety (US edition)|date=April 23, 2015|publisher=Variety Media LLC|access-date=July 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808000046/http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/pbs-wnet-pov-independent-lens-1201478442/|archive-date=August 8, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>