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Hal Hanevik
03-31-2004, 10:08 PM
the following is my response to the letter from KCET (local pbs station in Los Angeles) informing me that NTW and TOH are no longer in their line-up
guess I'm a bit peeved
Hal

Dear Mr. Zachary,
Perhaps you could explain the logic of this decision? KCET offers little else that I might find even remotely interesting, certainly most of the programming is vapid and inane, yet KCET asks me to support public broadcasting in a never ending barrage of shrill begging, sounding much like a nest full of fledgling sparrows. I know I am not alone in my feelings, a quick perusal though the many postings of newsgroups such as rec.woodworking and others should enlighten you. There is a market for programs such as these, unfortunately KCET lacks the necessary wisdom and vision to give me and others of like mind what we could or would support.
Copies of this email will be forwarded to PBS as well as to the newsgroups and web sites I frequent.
H. Hanevik

Bohdan Zachary wrote:

> Dear Mr. Hanevik,
>
> Thank you for your note.
>
> "The New Yankee Workshop" as well as "This Old House" are no longer in the
> KCET Saturday afternoon schedule. There are no plans to air the two series.
>
> Best,
>
>
>
>
> Bohdan Zachary
> KCET
> Director, Broadcast & Pledge Programming
> 323-953-5440
> bzachary@kcet.org
> ************************************************** ***************
>
>
>
>

Ken Garlock
03-31-2004, 10:55 PM
Well said Hal.

We get the same "send us money" pitches here in the Dallas area. When I see such bloviating, the biggest decision I have is whether I should go read or hit the shop.

Your tax dollars at work :confused:

Rob Russell
04-01-2004, 7:17 AM
Well said Hal.

We get the same "send us money" pitches here in the Dallas area. When I see such bloviating, the biggest decision I have is whether I should go read or hit the shop.

Your tax dollars at work :confused:

[on soapbox]

Ken,

I have to take issue with your statement and feel it appropriate to provide a different view of PBS (Public Broadcasting System) funding.

Fact - The vast majority of funding for public radio and television is from viewer/listener donations. If you listen to any of the [too often, annoying, I don't like them either] pledge drives, you'd know that.

"Your tax dollars at work" is no longer an accurate representation of public radio/TV and, frankly, I feel does a disservice by making people think that PBS should be "free". IMO, "bloviating" (pompous or boastful) is also an inaccurate description of the PBS entreatments.

There is some federal tax support of PBS but, as I remember, it's only abouty 10% of their overall funding and decreasing every year. If someone else has a more accurate number, I'd be happy to know it.

If you've been watching PBS for all these years without contributing, I say "Shame on you." You "pay" for commercial TV by watching advertisments. Yeah, those "sponsorships" the PBS stations run at the beginning of each show look a lot like ads to me, but they're quick, lumped together in the beginning and don't disturb the rest of the show.

I do agree that pulling things like NYW and TOH hurts, but the way to make the impact felt is to tell the local PBS station why you're not going to renew your membership. Hal's letter was cute, but I'll bet that the KCET director will dismiss it based on its tone. A better response might have been to pony up the money they need to continue running the series. That's probably why the local station cut NYW/TOH in the first place - the cost to pay for the programming from PBS.

[/soapbox]

If this thread has crossed the line into "politics" or other places we don't go at SMC, my apologies.

Rob

Randy Figg
04-01-2004, 7:29 AM
I've been told that NYW is 100% underwritten by the sponsers, Delta, Porter-Cable, and others. So your local PBS doesn't pay for it.

Is this true?

Also, Norm is the reason why I am in woodworking today and why I buy Delta and Porter-Cable products.

Randy

Ken Salisbury
04-01-2004, 8:23 AM
The Sawmill Creek Terms of Service (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/terms.php) require all registered members to use a real first and last name to be boni fide members.

Please PM Jackie Outten (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/private.php?do=newpm&userid=6)with that information so your registration can be updated.

This thread was moved to the OT Forum based on the subject matter.



Your Friendly Moderator

Lee Schierer
04-01-2004, 8:40 AM
I used to be an avid supporter of Public Broadcasting and used to devote not only a significant number of my hard earned dollars, but a substatial amount of time at their annual fund raising auction. That all changed when the local station management began treating the "public" in the form of volunteers like we had no say in how things were done or what programs were aired and had no intelligence to do the jobs we had done for many years. They relied on their "polls" to tell them what programing was popular. They wouldn't show us the polls either. They also changed things during the day then got upset witht he volunteers when things didn't run smooth at night because of their changes. They abandoned things that had worked well in previous years to try new stuff then blamed the volunteers when their changes weren't supported by the viewers.

Out of the fifty or so volunteers that I knew, none had ever been polled to see what programs we liked, yet between us we proabley had 5,000+ hours of support and who knows how many dollars. I've lived in this area for more than 25 years, yet not once has my phone rung to ask me what programs I watch on PBS. Try and find someone in your neighbor hood that has been asked.

They pre-empt the shows that I watch during every fund drive to show other stuff. I notice Lawrence Welk never gets pre-empted, but then who watches that.

I quit supporting when they quit listening.

Glenn Clabo
04-01-2004, 9:42 AM
The amount of our "tax dollars" for PBS has been under attack for years. This is not a political discussion...so we won't go there. PBS has been considered a specific side of the political spectrum and as such they have suffered constant attempts to remove as such funding as the politics of the time can withstand. As the "public" dollars have been reduced they have been forced to move to a for profit model. It's an untenable position to be in. How can you be called "public" when the primary (90%) form of funding is "private".

And Lee...I agree...money and the bottom line drives it...TV programming polls and the corporate boardroom run the programming. Neither of which seem to fit into my viewing likes...and it's clear they don't care about me because they have never asked anyone I know.

Dan Bussiere
04-01-2004, 9:49 AM
I have a very slanted view against PBS and it's opinionated news programs and broadcasts. But even I would have had a problem with the tone of the letter that was sent to them. I think courtesy in stating the facts is the first step.

FWIW,
Dan

Steven Wilson
04-01-2004, 10:19 AM
I've been told that NYW is 100% unwritten by the sponsers, Delta, Porter-Cable, and others. So your local PBS doesn't pay for it.

Is this true?

Randy

No, it's not. The production costs of NYW may be paid for by sponsors but that does not make it free for PBS stations. Local PBS stations still have to pay a lot of money to carry NYW or TOH (high 6 low 7 figure range per year per show).

Ken Garlock
04-01-2004, 11:36 AM
Hi Rob. I had been a supporter of PBS many years ago. I can no longer support them because their positions are not always fair and balanced. If they get $1 from the government, then it is my concern and I will have an opinion on them and their programming.

Let us agree to disagree. :)

Mac McAtee
04-01-2004, 11:47 AM
"(high 6 low 7 figure range per year per show)"

Surely that must be an error. Norm is good but his show isn't worth a million dollars+ a season for each TV station that runs it, which now amounts to 6 new shows a year.

Were I to gripe about PBS and their fund raising here in NC it would be like this. When fund rasing they run these great shows to get people all excited about what they are doing. But, when the fund rasing is over they go back to the same old stale British comedy shows and. Perhaps once or twice a year they will have some real outstanding show on.

In NC they used to run Norm and TOH on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. They now have dropped the Sunday morning run. On Saturday afternoon's I have too many things going on to sit down and watch TV, sooooo......I haven't seen an issue this year yet.

Rob Russell
04-01-2004, 1:29 PM
Let us agree to disagree. :)


Works for me. :D

Now, why is it that SWMBO won't do that as readily when there truly are multiple, valid, perspectives on an issue? :confused:

Dennis Peacock
04-01-2004, 7:25 PM
Folks.....

While we ALL have our opinions about PBS, some good and some not so good and I have some agreement on both sides. Let's please not let this get too far. Airing thoughts and opinions is good and this thread will stand as long as we don't venture out into "slamming" each other.

Let's just keep is civil. :)