WQED’s On-Q changes

WQED-TV (13) is replacing “On-Q” after 10 years of production with a series of 30-minute programs each evening at 7:30. Along with the change comes the cancellation of the long-running “Black Horizons” which has been on the air since 1968.

Beginning November 1, each evening’s program will have a different theme. Mondays: “Experience” wil be a regional version of PBS’ “American Experience. Tuesdays: “Horizons” replaces “Black Horizons” and will cover issues surrounding all of the ethnic and cultural groups in the region. Wednesday: “It’s Pittsburgh and a Lot of Other Stuff” hosted by Rick Sebak. Thursday: “Pittsburgh 360” will study health, science, education, etc. Friday: “4802” will feature journalists and newsmakers talking about the issues of the day. 4802 is the street number for WQED on Fifth Avenue.

On Saturdays at 10:00 p.m., a 60-minute program called “Filmmakers’ Corner” will air to showcase independent films by area filmmakers. 

Chris Moore, Michael Bartley and Tonia Caruso will still be a part of some of the programs. Moore will host “Horizons” while Bartley and Caruso will host “Pittsburgh 360”. All three will moderate the “4802” program.

The end of “Black Horizons” is the end of an era locally and nationally. The program went on the air in 1968 as what could have been the first public affairs program devoted to the African-American issues. WQED is changing the program to fit the times and to encompass more cultural traditions. Meanwhile, the station is seeking ways to archive past episodes of the program for on-demand and online viewing.

“It’s Pittsburgh and a Lot of Other Stuff” is an opportunity for Sebak to be able to tell more stories about the region in a shorter format than the normal documentaries he has produced.

“One thing audiences have asked for is more long-form storytelling and segments,” said Darryl Ford Williams to the Post-Gazette, “We never had the structure or resources to do half-hour documentaries with the frequency we do now.”