'Pioneers of THIRTEEN' review: memory lane

The new Ch. 13 (it had been WNTA, a commercial station based in New Jersey) would have neither sitcoms nor Westerns, nor -- for that matter -- much money. The new WNDT (for New Dimensions in Television) had its call letters changed to WNET, for National Educational Television, in 1970. Though not quite a foundling, the station felt like one at first as it sought to attract contributors, donors and attention. "We did do shows on a shoestring," says Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the founders of Children's Television Workshop, which launched "Sesame Street" in 1969. She began her career at Ch. 13 as a producer.

"Commercial TV was too narrow an artery for the scholar, the artist, the writer, the teacher, the poet -- for all those people who were not having access to commercial television," says Bill Moyers. Ch. 13 would open its doors and arms to many of them, and a glorious history began. This four-parter covers the station's history through the '90s and beyond.

After all, Ch. 13 was a child of the '60s. But then there was everything else -- the trailblazers that changed television for the better: "Black Journal," Joseph Louw's "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Special," Frederick Wiseman documentaries (like "Titicut Follies"), many music programs (like "Jazz Casual") and, of course, "Sesame Street."

SEE PHOTOSTV shows that made an impact