Uncommon Knowledge
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Uncommon Knowledge was a weekly 30-minute current affairs show hosted by Peter Robinson and co-produced and presented by San Jose, California, PBS member station KTEH from 1997 to 2005. It was distributed first by American Public Television and later by PBS to public television stations throughout the United States and internationally by NPR Worldwide.
The show was funded by various foundations and organizations, including the conservative John M. Olin Foundation and produced by the Hoover Institution (of which Peter Robinson is a fellow). However, its format and involvement with public television helped ensure a fair hearing from both sides of the issue.
[edit] Revival
In 2006 and 2007, the Hoover Institution produced a sporadic series of for-Web interviews involving Peter Robinson called Directors' Forum Video. In July, 2007, these Directors' Forum Video webcasts were rebranded under the old Uncommon Knowledge moniker, and a new episode, "Land of Lincoln," with Robinson introducing it as Uncommon Knowledge, was newly produced. It is not clear how frequently these for-Web shows will be made, or whether the format will ever be rebroadcast on television, PBS or otherwise.
[edit] Format
Typically, the show invites up to three expert guests with opposing points of view on controversial issues and/or matters of international/public policy to debate each other on the air. Robinson moderates and posits devil's advocate-type arguments, recites quotations to elicit the perspectives of his guests, and questions his guests in order to generate thought-provoking, in-depth discussion. After several segments the show concludes with Robinson asking the guests to predict what the future held for the issue in question.
Archives of streaming video, transcripts, and mp3 audio are available from the website for most episodes after 2000. For previous years, transcripts are available.
