General Program
Media
MacArthur supports independent documentary film and video and public radio in the United States to help ensure a diversity of viewpoints and expand the availability of high-quality content. The primary focus of the Foundation's Media grantmaking is support for independent documentary films – usually those that address subject matter close to MacArthur's grantmaking strategies. Funding for public radio is intended to maintain and strengthen its program-production infrastructure.
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Frontline Documentary Sets Online Viewing Record
"Bush’s War,”a PBS Frontline documentary on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, was viewed online a record-setting 1.5 million times. MacArthur provided a $5 million grant to support the wide range of programs produced by Frontline and Frontline/World. Part of the grant was used for technological advancements, enabling Frontline to design and install a new full-screen video player on its website, which greatly improved the online viewing experience. The new technology also allowed producers to create an interactive, annotated timeline on terrorism and the U.S. government's response. The documentary, which aired on PBS in March, had an estimated 10 times the online traffic of a typical show since Frontline began streaming its documentaries free in 2002. A story in The New York Times reported on this news and drew even more viewers to the site. MacArthur has long supported public media, focusing recently on helping to reach new audiences.
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