Rogers State University Public Television will air the world-wide premier of its original 60-minute documentary “Voices of Bartlesville” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, December 2.
The premiere will be part of the station’s live three-hour special “Bartlesville Night.” During the special, more than 30 notable Bartians will be in the RSU Public TV Claremore studio talking about the documentary and about the Bartlesville community.
The film was produced by RSU Public TV and BIG Productions and tells the story of a community that began with a trading post on the Caney River, famously boomed when oil was discovered in the area and grew into a business, cultural and educational hub of northeast Oklahoma.
The documentary is rich with personal interviews and historic photography.
“Voices of Bartlesville” includes more than 20 interviews including conversations with Doris “Coke” Meyer, Will Rogers grandniece; Dee Ketchum, Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and Bettye Williams, an African American.
“One of our priorities at RSU Public TV is to tell more stories about the people in the communities we serve,” said Dan Schiedel, general manager of RSU Public TV. “This documentary is just one way we are able to share Green Country’s rich history with our viewers.”
The station worked with an advisory panel of long-time Bartians to help formulate the project.
The documentary is a great collaborative effort, said Dan Droege, president of the Bartlesville Rotary Club and a member of the documentary’s advisory board.
“The film will be enlightening for a lot of people who are not that familiar with the history of the area,” Droege said. “It is a nice blend of history and human interest.”
Ann-Janette, a musical performer from Bartlesville who has achieved national acclaim, also will appear live in the studio that night. Her concert program, “Brighter Day Ahead”, featuring Ann-Janette, will be presented at 9 p.m. during “Bartlesville Night.”
The special evening was made possible in part by a sponsorship from the Bartlesville Community Foundation.
“Bartlesville Night” is part of RSU Public TV’s third annual Winterfest membership drive held Nov. 26 through Dec. 7. Viewers can tune in for 12 days of inspirational, educational and entertaining programming.
Viewers who join RSU Public TV at the $100 level will receive the documentary as a thank you gift. The film is not available anywhere else, Schiedel said.
RSU Public Television is licensed to Rogers State University and is the only public television station to be operated by a university in Oklahoma. The station, based on the RSU campus in Claremore, reaches more than a million people within a 75-mile radius of the campus.
RSU Public Television can be seen on Cable Channel 4 in Bartlesville & Channel 35 on all satellite systems in Green Country as well as over-the-air digital channel 35. The station is also available on Tulsa and Claremore cable channel 19.
For more information on RSU Public Television, or to make a pledge during the membership drive, call (800) 823-7210 or visit rsu.tv.