PBS pledge drive...looks more like networks at 2 a.m.

[emeleel]

Does anyone else watch PBS pledge drives? They always upset hubby because they mess up "his" shows, but I usually kind of like them because they have some interesting shows that they don't normally have. Usually a lot of neat musical stuff - things like Lord of the Dance, Les Miserable in Concert, Cats, Michael Crawford, etc.

This year, however, it's looking more like network infomercials at 2 in the morning! Yesterday afternoon was Donna Dewberry's One-Stroke Painting, which was nice, but they were pushing her how-to kit as a premium. I expect the offers of premiums, but this was ridiculous! In the studio, they sounded just like any one of the TV hucksters with their sidekicks.

Last night was "The Wrinkle Cure with some-Dr-or-other" - some guys peddling his anti-aging diet regimen! Today was Suze Orman's two hour talk about money, which I didn't see but just a couple of minutes, but it looked like yet another infomercial. You can just feel it when you see them, you know?

They are going to be running some music specials, and Anne of Green Gables is on right now, but these other programs are utterly ridiculous for PBS to be running. I always thought they had some integrity, but apparently in times of financial need, even they are willing to sell out to the snake-oil people.

I worked for the local PBS affiliate for about 3 years and I just can't begin to describe the waste and senselessness of the place. Some stations get funding from the state, some get funding from a unviersity, and some are unrestricted non-profit but aggressive campaigners with regards to corporate sponsorship. It all depends how the license and station were set up and who owns it.

This station was quasi-owned by the university in the worst possible way, had a general manager who absolutely feared that the fundraising board would control his every action and avoided major corporate sponsors in case they'd take over that board, and killed a few very lucrative projects like Computer Workshop Live (a call-in show solving computer problems, showing off new technology, and light years ahead of its time).

Computer Workshop Live absolutely rules and dominated and grew like wildfire. In its 12 week run, it went out on the satellite and folks were clamoring for it to be distributed normally. The GM panicked and killed it, saying he didn't want to make anything big out of the place. All I can say to that is die Mary Lou Retton, die.

When I see how these talking heads beg for money to save Sesame Street, Barney, and the like... it makes me sick. Many of these stations just rebroadcast the material with absolutely no local innovation or feel or worthwhile contributions (there's a local happy show here called Weeknight Edition that is totally worthless and a waste of airtime). The true powerhouses of production are CTW, WGBH, WNET, KLRN, and KCET and those other major cities where those series are produced. I feel like the fundraising is just to pay for the middlemen... like I'm paying for the paperpushers and functionaries to bring this stuff to me in the antiquated network-affiliate relationship when this ought to be available directly through satellite and cable.

When I give peldges and eventually send checks, it is to THOSE places, not the local middleman and its exorbitant markup.

At least recently they've turned the place into something of a teaching facility for the U.H. school of broadcasting. Not journalism... broadcasting... straight RTV. Like Houston's a major center for production... HAH! New York, LA, or starve, student.

There's all sorts of other arguments and sub-arguments like the value or aerial bandwidth, worthless FCC oversight, how do poor kids get educational TV, and so on. I'll just ignore all that for now, remember the waste and greed, and think that there's got to be a better way.

[kurt_messick]

PBS is the only channel I get. If you don't have cable or satellite in my little part of southern Indiana, you don't get anything else. The hills block Indianapolis, and Louisville broadcasts fade out about 20 miles south of here.

Charlotte Church is singing now.

I don't support my local PBS channel because of the impossible staff there. They had premium mugs made up with 'mugs' of the staff, line-art caricatures (like the local PBS staff are some sort of celebrity I'd want to see staring at me in the morning!). One staffer (still there, a dozen years since this happened) made the station smash all 1440 mugs because she didn't like the drawing of her face.

They wasted, in that one move, many times the amount I had given in the several years up to that point. I figured, if that had that kind of money, they don't need mine.