In a special edition of Rhode Island PBS Weekly, the news magazine pays tribute to the life and work of political journalist Bill Rappleye, who died on January 7 following a brief battle with brain cancer.
The special airs Wednesday, January 13 at 7 p.m., with an encore on Sunday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. The episode is also live-streamed online at ripbs.org/stream, and available on demand following the broadcast.
Bill Rappleye joined Rhode Island PBS a year ago to develop and report long-form stories for Rhode Island PBS Weekly. Dedicated to his new career, he co-hosted the program right up until the week before his death, appearing in the first eight episodes.
In the spring and summer months leading up to the series premiere on November 11 - following rigorous COVID-19 protocols - Bill researched and conducted a number of interviews for stories, two of which will be featured in Wednesday's episode.
In a new story, Bill Rappleye's in-depth interviews examine both sides of the state's offshore wind farm - the first in the country. Rhode Island has been celebrated as a trailblazer in the future of clean, renewable energy, while commercial fishermen and women say this new form of energy production will have devastating effects on the fishing industry.
A second segment presents an encore of Bill's interview with Youth Poetry Ambassador Halima Ibrahim and her family. In the story, Bill explores her poetry and the health issues that often drive her writing.
The heart of Wednesday's program is the series of tributes to Bill, highlighting his career as a journalist, and glimpsing his personal side in a series of photos of Bill and his family through the years.
The Video On Demand page includes two additional compilation videos of tributes from Bill's colleagues and friends, remembering Bill as witty, tenacious, and compassionate.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits over the air in high definition on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD in MA; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36.
