Journalist Gwen Ifill will bring her PBS political show Washington Week to the Mahaffey Theater on Feb. 15, recording both a national version of the show and a Tampa Bay-centered version as part of a 10-city tour organized through the election season. As a measure of the target audience, the whole trip has been underwritten by the AARP.

Ifill's Florida jaunt will also include a 6 p.m. stop at the Poynter Institute for a fundraiser that day, in which fans can hear her speak on politics and media issues from the princely sum of $25. She's bound to have a lot to talk about, visiting the state after our controversial primary and the Super Tuesday deluge of primary votes on Feb. 5.

This stop is among a number of events Tampa PBS station WEDU-Ch. 3 is using to publicize its 50th anniversary, which technically falls in October but will be celebrated throughout the year.

Longtime blog readers will remember I spoke to Ifill about a year ago, at the height of Don Imus  madness, when she was explaining how she reacted 14 years ago when the host featured a parody calling her a "cleaning lady" sent to cover the White House by the New York Times. She's an amazing journalist who serves as host and managing editor for her program while also working as a senior correspondent for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer -- basically PBS' news goddess.

WEDU officials are hoping to turn out a good crowd for the event; if you'd like to join the audience -- which will be allowed to submit questions for possible inclusion in the Tampa Bay-centered broadcast, to be asked by the audience members who conceive them -- click here. Individuals can request up to four tickets online, but the program is willing to accommodate large groups as well -- call WEDU at 813-254-9338, ext. 2234.

Seating begins at 2:30 p.m. for the taping, which will last from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.