Bruce Springsteen once criticized television for having “57 channels and nothing.” He apparently doesn’t feel that way about PBS.
PBS NewsHour co-anchor Jeff Bennett recently interviewed the musician about the opening of the Bruce Springsteen American Music Center, Monmouth University’s artist archives and exhibition center for his work and other works related to American music. “As the interview progressed, I realized that it would be a shame to lose half the conversation on the cutting room floor, as is often the case in broadcast interviews,” Bennett said in an email.
The journalist pitched the possibility of turning the interview into a half-hour special to PBS NewsHour senior executive producer Sarah Just, and the public broadcaster agreed. “Bruce Springsteen: Finding America in Song” will air on PBS on July 5 at 6:30 p.m. and will focus on Springsteen speaking about his life, career, legacy and the role music plays in telling America’s story.
“Bruce Springsteen doesn’t give many interviews these days, so we knew this was a rare opportunity and wanted to make the most of it. Rather than retrace the familiar milestones of his incredible career, we wanted to use this moment to explore bigger questions,” Bennett says. “We talked about how his understanding of this country has evolved over five decades of songwriting, what he believes music can reveal about the American experience, and what he thinks about his own heritage. It became a conversation less about looking back and more about looking back at this country, its history, and the role music plays in understanding both.”
And this conversation will be broadcast as the country celebrates its 250th anniversary. The program also features interviews with Jon Landau, who has helped manage Springsteen’s career for many years, and Bob Santelli, executive director of the new center.
Springsteen was “incredibly thoughtful and generous with his time. He seemed genuinely interested in tackling the problems. He thought on his own terms, came up with answers, and drew connections between music, history, and lived experience,” Bennett says. “It’s easy to see why his work has resonated with people for decades. There’s an authenticity to him that comes across instantly.”
Because the discussion focused on broader ideas rather than Springsteen’s personal accomplishments, Bennett felt this could capture attention for a long time. “As the interviews progressed, I realized I had to leave too much stuff on the cutting room floor,” he says. “That’s the nature of television news. We always work under time constraints. But this conversation had a different rhythm. It felt like a conversation that deserved a breather.” The extra time meant “there was time and space to hold on to ideas. Bruce reflected on his musical influences, patriotism, protest, and the role of artists in helping understand the nation,” Bennett says. “It’s less a conversation about Bruce Springsteen the celebrity than a conversation about Bruce Springsteen the American storyteller.”
Casters believe that conversations with musicians will encourage broader conversations among viewers. “I hope people leave with a deeper appreciation not only of Bruce Springsteen and his cultural contributions, but also the power of music to tell America’s story,” he says.
