PBS has announced it will air the first ever televised TED Talk on Tuesday April 16. The seminars, previously only found online and (for a steep price) in theater settings, focused on technology, entertainment, and science, or “ideas worth spreading.” TED Talks have garnered a lot of attention online for their captivating content and witty delivery by industry professionals, and could potentially bring big views for PBS.
This particular televised seminar, titled “TED Talks Education,” features Bill Gates, as well as author and educator Sir Ken Robinson and social activist Geoffrey Canada. The seminar itself will be held on Friday, April 4 at the Harvey Theater, a part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Does this mean TED Talks will become a recurring event on PBS? With dozens of TED Talks available through multiple online platforms, a televised seminar seems unnecessary. However, TED Talks on PBS may be able to reach an older audience that wouldn’t normally see the seminars online. Will this bring a spike in views for PBS, or be cast aside by the indifferent masses who could just watch the thing online? We’ll just have to find out.
