PBS fund raising

[NutmegCT]

First off, I really like the quality of programming that I find on our local PBS station. 99% outstanding stuff.

But ... I wonder if PBS around the USA is anything like our local PBS in fund raising matters.

Example: Eight to ten times a year, our local PBS station runs "generic" programs from 8pm to 6am, with hourly "we're standing by to take your pledge" segments. The programs are things like "Golden Oldies, Celtic Woman, Carol King, David Garrett, Easy Yoga, Pilates Secrets, Stay Rich for Life,", etc. Non-stop filler. So for each of the fund raising periods, this 8pm to 6am filler runs for two weeks straight. Two weeks straight!

Thousands of people around Connecticut complain about this every time it happens, and it's documented in The Courant (newspaper). People are withdrawing their support and ending their contributions because of the mindless drivel that's shown during these times. Altho' the local PBS station just built a $12 million studio building, they produce only one program. The run syndicated children's programming from 6:30am to 6pm, then BBC news and NewsHour from 6 to 8. Then when they're not fund raising, they run the national feed (NOVA, Nature, Masterpiece, etc.) until 11pm. Then the endless filler again.

Edit: you get the impression that there's no one in that new studio building except for one poor tech guy who just punches buttons.

Is PBS like this where you live too?

Thanks.
Tom

 

[DrEntropy]

PBS got their last donation from us years ago. When they switched to a "live national" phone bank to replace local volunteers.

Pittsburgh (WQED) was far and away the best PBS station we've ever seen. Not so the ones here in FL. Thay are as you describe the CT one.

 

[vagt6]

It's not great, the fundraising, but how is PBS going to raise funds otherwise?

Better not complain, there are "factions" who fervently wish to take it away . . .

Tell all the complainers that if they'd donate to PBS, maybe there'd be less fundraising on the air!

 

[NutmegCT]

Mark - I guess that's part of what's bugging me. Fewer people want to contribute when the majority of the programming is "filler". I swear they've shown "Suzy Orman's Women and Money" over a dozen times in the last couple months.

If the fund raising took place in three minutes at the end of each popular program, instead of in a twelve-hour block, then they'd catch more viewers. But for pete's sake, 8pm to 6am? Who's going to give money at 2am? And they have so little popular programming during prime time anyway ....

An interesting aspect to this is that if national PBS evaporated, then our local station would evaporate also. They don't produce programming; they just show the national programming.

The local president of our PBS station makes over $200K a year, with a limo and private plane provided. You really have to ask ... where's the money going, and why should anyone give more?

sigh

T.

 

[Basil]

The local president of our PBS station makes over $200K a year, with a limo and private plane provided. <span style="font-weight: bold">You really have to ask </span>

No I don't.

 

[NutmegCT]

The local president of our PBS station makes over $200K a year, with a limo and private plane provided. <span style="font-weight: bold">You really have to ask </span>

No I don't.

and I think thousands of Connecticut residents have decided the same thing!

T.

 

[Basil]

The local president of our PBS station makes over $200K a year, with a limo and private plane provided. <span style="font-weight: bold">You really have to ask </span>

No I don't.

and I think thousands of Connecticut residents have decided the same thing!

T.

Smart folks, those residents.

 

[NutmegCT]

Back to the original question ...

Basil, what's public television (local PBS) fund raising like in your neck o' the woods? How's it affect programming?

T.

 

[Basil]

They hold fund raisers at least once a year. I have no idea how well they do as I have no insight into their books. I don't watch PBS that much so really can't say anything about their programming. I'm a news junkie and spend most of my quality time watching some of the main cable networks, C-SPAN, History Channel, TLC, Discovery, etc.

 

[tomshobby]

We have some nice local shows that highlight different aspects of Wisconsin. Wisconsin's Rustic Roads, Outdoors Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Gardner, and many others. Shirley and I really like those shows and also the British Comedy shows. I am a big fan of Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, even though they are mostly reruns. We also like the different Masterpiece series and the Mystery shows.

There are also some current events shows, state, national, and world oriented.

My biggest complaint in the past was that there was a definite far right tone especially in the news related shows but that has been changing and is now more of a centered viewpoint.

But we do very much dislike those fundraisers and simply ignore the PBS channel when they air.

 

[martx-5]

It's not great, the fundraising, but how is PBS going to raise funds otherwise?...

Well, here on Long Island, the PBS stations run at least five minutes of commercial advertisements at the beginning and end of each program. "This program brought to you by blah, blah, blah." They are not commercial free anymore. All they have to do is add in a few more minutes worth during the show, and they can then let the "fund raising" go by way of the Dodo...in other words, do it like the rest of the TV world does it.

 

[vagt6]

PBS programming, as it is currently, will not allow PBS affiliates to compete with "regular" TV. The shows aired on PBS often tend to be scientific, biographical, etc., with much literary content. Obviously, the masses who watch TV don't like such educationally-oriented programming as much as they like "reality" TV and other such drivel. PBS's viewership is a mere fraction of most commercial stations'.

PBS will have to change its programming radically if they are to exist without public funding and fundraisers. I really don't see how they can do it, and apparently, neither does PBS management or they'd already be trying it.

Government has to cut budgets, and budget cutting is always painful (e.g., if it's effective). I predict that PBS TV is on its way out the door, especially with the current "atmosphere" in D.C.

Everyone must answer to the economic gods: if you can't support yourself and those in power don't like you . . .

A shame really, but economic (and political) reality.

 

[Basil]

Obviously, the masses...

I'm one of those unwashed masses I guess. I find the stuff on Discovery Channel, History Channel, often on CSPAN, and others just as "upper-crust" as anything I've seen on PBS. If there is a market for PBS it will survive.

 

[martx-5]

Obviously, the masses...

I'm one of those unwashed masses I guess. I find the stuff on Discovery Channel, History Channel, often on CSPAN, and others just as "upper-crust" as anything I've seen on PBS. If there is a market for PBS it will survive.

Whatever your interest is, you can find a channel that will fill those interests, and do it quite well. There's everything you could possibly want from the food channel to the military channel and everything in between.

 

[Basil]

I have over 200 channels on my Dish satellite but only about a dozen that I find are worth watching. But your right, in this day and age there is something there to suit just about anyone.

 

[tomshobby]

I have over 200 channels on my Dish satellite but only about a dozen that I find are worth watching. But your right, in this day and age there is something there to suit just about anyone.

Same here! I would really like it if I could only have the few show up on my on-screen menu. Especially if I could remove those (insert words banned from this site here) porn channels from the menu. It is bad enough they show up when just myself and my wife are watching but it is completely inappropriate when our grand daughters are here. Actually one of the reasons I have been considering dropping cable.

 

[NutmegCT]

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.

 

[aeronca65t]

..........The local president of our PBS station makes over $200K a year, with a limo and private plane provided. You really have to ask ... where's the money going, and why should anyone give more?

sigh

T.

That's an extraordinarily <span style="text-decoration: underline">low</span> salary to be president of a TV station in the NY/Conn/NJ area.
The president of my community college makes about that much and his job is probably a lot simpler. I'm sure a lot of my neighbours who work in NYC make salaries in that range (I don't). The car and plane probably aren't dedicated to him (especially not at that salary)....much nore likely to be shared and scheduled with other execs.
The president of NBC makes about $2 million/year and Roger Ailes is said to make $5 million/year.

Public televison gets rougly 93% support from non-government sources (in our area). If they recieve less govt funding in the future (likely) , then you may be wishing for only two weeks of The Beg-a-Thon. There are lots of corporate sources that could make up that difference......but say goodby to the PBS stuff you really enjoyed (replaced with stuff where profit is the #1 goal). I'd guess less quirky Brit comedies and more reality shows.

I just turn PBS off during the pledge season. Not really *that* complicated. I also enjoy CSPAN. Or just raking leaves. :laugh:

Reality TV was mentioned above. I know it's profitable and I know it's a "growth industry". But to me, it's the bane of Western Civilization. To each, his own of course.

 

[John Turney]

We rarely watch TV, PBS or otherwise. We do listen to the radio stations, though. They ususally have two fund raisers per year, a couple of weeks each, and announcements at other times to donate, but their regular programming doesn't change much.

 

[tomshobby]

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.