PBS fund raising

[Basil]

Tom - on DishTV, you can have the onscreen menu show only the channels you're subscribed to. I don't know what provider you have, but maybe you have that option too?

T.

I will check and see if we can. I did ask the service tech when he was here once and he told me we could not do it.

I find it so offensive. The bad part is that part of the menu is right after some of the family listings.

On my Dish Network I can set up specific programming lists and name them. So, I have "Basil's List" and Mary has her list. When I select my list it only shows me the stations that I have added to my list.

 

[Banjo]

Our local PBS station is really quite good. They have a good mix of syndicated, and locally produced shows. Only having basic cable (Channels 2-13) we watch a heavy percentage of PBS. One local show, "Expressions", highlights local musicians and groups. Not all my taste, but always good to sample local talent.
Fundraisers are not very long. I really think they do single day fundraisers a few times a year. Call station is local, the in between the show fillers are live, and they tend to show really good programs during the pledge drive. like Victor Borge ( his daughter was in studio for the drive) or other really good documentaries.
I'm very pleased with our PBS station WSKG

 

[NutmegCT]

Our local PBS station is really quite good. They have a good mix of syndicated, and locally produced shows. Only having basic cable (Channels 2-13) we watch a heavy percentage of PBS. One local show, "Expressions", highlights local musicians and groups. Not all my taste, but always good to sample local talent.
Fundraisers are not very long. I really think they do single day fundraisers a few times a year. Call station is local, the in between the show fillers are live, and they tend to show really good programs during the pledge drive. like Victor Borge ( his daughter was in studio for the drive) or other really good documentaries.
I'm very pleased with our PBS station WSKG

Thanks for the details. I'd say you're pretty lucky to have that station.

Our fundraisers are two weeks long, and occur between eight and ten times a year. They're really driving the audience away, I'm afraid.

Gad, if we stand to lose programming like PBS's Masterpiece Theater, NOVA, American Experience, Frontline, NewsHour, etc. for things like TLC's 19 Kids and Counting, History's Underground Aliens, Discovery's Bristol Bay Brawl, Science's How do they do it?, I'm going back to books! The topics may be interesting, but they're presented like something for junior high kids. I never felt talked down to with PBS programming. argh.

T.

 

[Sherlock]

As far as fundraising goes in general...

I have noted over the past year that PBS has done far more than usual (yes, we do get Spokane PBS over cable here in Calgary), but most of their programming during fundraising seems to be much tackier than their usual stuff.


Here in Alberta we have an excellent public radio station - CKUA - great music programming if you like the more independent (read folk/blues/jazz/world) music, and twice a year they do fundraising drive... It used to a two-week long affair twice a year, but largely due to input from listeners they have scaled it back to ten days, I know because listeners (me included) got tired of far too much fundraising chat over the two weeks... And the move to scale back has not had any real impact on their results, because people who were going to give would give anyway regardless of how long...

Having said that, I understand that PBS is under tremendous financial pressure, but perhaps they need to re-think how they fundraise and become more innovative, just a thought...

 

[Banjo]

speaking of it all.... I just kicked on PBS to see what's up. It's the pledge drive! hahahaha. They're showing Riverdance. Offering the DVD/ blu-ray at the $100 level, CD at the $75.