an indeapth comment by a insider -- A personal protest -- on WQED TV Pittsburgh -- a PBS sta tion

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: 
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 10:00:01 -0400
To: "'dave () farber net'" <dave () farber net>


Dave, 

While I've been on the IP list for some time this is first time I've written
you. I do so now because I am very much in sympathy with your disappointment
with your public television service and believe I can give you some helpful
background.  

Because of my position, and the fact that my views are my own and probably
very much in variance with at least the public views of my employer, if you
use it for IP I would ask that you delete my signature and the
identification in the next paragraph.

In my opinion, xxxxxxxxxx (the author states his excellent qualifications to
comment djf), the public television system is in need of a major overhaul.
The system finds its root in a Carnegie Foundation study in the sixties.
Nothing less than a full review by such an organization is needed now.

Public television was created to fill a void and was to provide alternative
programming in education and the arts in a world where Americans received 4
or 5 channels and there were 3 commercial networks. Funding was to come from
public sources and corporate "underwriting". This underwriting, with very
strict rules on the corporate "message" that could be used, was seen as a
philanthropic act on the part of the companies and handled by that part of
the company that dealt with corporate charitable contributions.

After 40 years, the world has changed dramatically.

We now get a hundred plus cable channels. The highest rated children's
program is no longer Sesame Street. It is Blue's Clues on Nickelodeon. First
rate documentaries can be seen on such channels as Discovery, History, A&E.
The arts are on A&E, Bravo, Arts. Education on The Learning Channel and many
others. Even the public TV cliché of cooking shows are on the Food Channel.
There are scores of alternative news sources and they cover the range of the
political spectrum from liberal to conservative and everything in between.

And the "business" of the public TV business, once seen as a dirty word, is
completely changed. Public funding has almost evaporated. At the same time
the corporations now view public television as just another marketing tool
and they must be "sold" underwriting contacts on the same terms as they are
sold any other kind of advertising.

Public television stations thus find themselves in a world where they must
sell on their numbers, audience size, demographics, etc. But they are at a
disadvantage because they are selling long term commitments, not spot
advertising and there are serve restrictions limiting companies to what are
in effect "image" ads. That means, no specific mention of products or
prices. No comparisons with competitors. No "hard sell", etc. Because of
this, many public TV stations are in severe financial difficulty.

I believe there is still a place for a non-profit broadcasting service. I'm
not sure if it can survive if it is forced to remain "non commercial", which
I see as something different. Many disagree and insist that public
television remain "pure". I think they fail to face realty. In some other
countries, Britain being a prime example, a TV license fee or "tax" funds
public television. There is nothing of the kind here and I doubt our
lawmakers would propose such a fee.

I think public television must redefine its role in terms of the programming
mission. I also think many of the restrictions on its revenue generating
activities must be removed. The public is not being served as well by public
television as it should. On the other hand, if the stations go out of
business, the public won't be served at all.

Regards.

xxxxx

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