PBS to get artsy Friday nights

PBS plans to run arts programming on Friday nights for nine straight weeks starting in October to highlight where it can offer something different, network executives said this week.

Programs will include a special on women rock and rollers, an exploration of American roots music narrated by Steve Martin and the San Francisco Ballet's "The Little Mermaid." Although "American Idol" and similar performance shows remain popular on broadcast TV, there are relatively few outlets that show the breadth of arts that PBS is planning, its president and chief executive Paula Kerger said. Cable networks that once were devoted to the arts, such as Bravo and A&E, now focus primarily on other programming.

"We constantly look at what areas are being underrepresented," Kerger said. "From my perspective, the arts is really at the top of the list." The Friday night arts festival will be is a collection of new programming as well as PBS' "Great Performances" series. Putting them all on the same night will help viewers who have had trouble finding some of the network's arts programming in the past, she said.

"For many of our viewers, finding our arts coverage is kind of a serendipity," she said. "You have to be in the right place at the right time."

The festival will include documentaries and short films about arts scenes in Miami, San Francisco, Cleveland, Chicago and other areas. PBS is encouraging its member stations to develop local arts programming to go with the feature.