PBS to Track Audio History from Wax to Digits

PBS and Wildheart Entertainment are teaming up on a new primetime series for 2010 that chronicles the history of recorded music.

On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives will be an eight-hour documentary series, shot in HD for fall 2010 and hosted by Sir George Martin, who produced The Beatles, and narrated by Kevin Spacey, whose musical propos include playing -- and singing -- Bobby Darin for his 2004 biographical film.

The series will feature hundreds of artist, interviews and archival performances to chart the industry's development.

As with most big-ticket productions, this will be far more than a TV show, with a companion Web site, CD box set, DVD set, books and even a companion radio show.

Martin and Wildheart have been developing the project for more than five years, PBS said.

Executive producers will include Martin, Maxim Langstaff and Michele Langstaff of Wildheart and Phil Quartararo, Virgin Records founder and former head of EMI and Warner Music executive.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.