New York -- AOL and PBS on Tuesday launched "Makers: Women
Who Make America," a digital video and broadcast initiative to showcase a
collection of stories from women who helped shape the women's movement in the
United States.
The multi-platform Makers project profiles famous women like
Sandra Day O'Connor, Barbara Walters and Billie Jean King as well as unknown
females who have sparked change and paved the way for women who followed in
their field.
Makers: Women Who Make
America will air as a three-hour documentary on PBS in 2013 with
first-person accounts from the 100 women selected for the project. PBS will
also work with its stations to create local initiatives around the project.
In an effort to not leave footage on the cutting room floor,
the AOL-developed Makers.com, launched Tuesday, features original video archive
content from the project edited by the filmmakers. PBS will have its own
companion site at pbs.org/makers.
At a launch event for Makers here Tuesday afternoon, Paula
Kerger, president and CEO of PBS spoke of seeing few role models on television
as a young girl growing up in Baltimore, which was part of her reason for
wanting to be involved in Makers.
"Because of this project, the next generation of women will
see inspirational women on their screen," she said. "We hope to bring the story
of women in America to every American."
