Jack Briggs

It's that time again. PBS affiliates throughout the country are gearing up for the latest quarterly Pledge Drive. Certainly, the network deserves our support. Despite the fact that corporate commercials run routinely on this "viewer-supported" network, it still remains the provider of the most consistently excellent programming in all of broadcast television.

Unfortunately, some PBS affiliates exploit the Pledge Drive more aggressively than others. The leading Los Angeles-area affiliate, KCET-Channel 28, is one of them.

What is most annoying about how KCET handles the Pledge Drive is that it never really goes away. Despite taking full advantage of the sixteen weeks (four months!) maximum allocation per year, the station continues with its own "pledge drives" outside those timeframes.

Even this would be more tolerable if not for the vapid, intelligence-insulting "special" programming KCET favors during these Drives: Your Money with Suze Orman is repeated ad nauseum each time, all two hours of it. Then there are the endless opportunities to learn more about painting stupid pictures of floral arrangements, courtesy of Donna Dewberry, finger-painter. And I forget the guru's name, but KCET always repeats the same mind-numbing two-hour presentations by a smooth-talking, New Age "self-realization" specialist—nothing but feel-good platitudes for 120 minutes.

Some of the entertainment specials are passable, but how many times must KCET repeat The Three Tenors and those two-hour performances by doo-wop singers? And did I mention Yanni?

At the very least, if such essential, regular prime-time PBS programming as Frontline, NOVA, and NOW with Bill Moyers must be interrupted for four weeks a stretch, why not broadcast vintage editions of these same programs during the Pledge Drives? They are, after all, the reason we turn to PBS in the first place.

Additionally, KCET, whether it's Pledge Drive time or not, runs a series of slickly produced ads throughout the year, all of them begging for money (in one of them, an actor pretending to be auditioning for some sort of stage part screams, "They're not beg-athons!" as he begs you to send money).

Again, PBS deserves our support. As a news venue, it is an indespensible alternative to the mindless, soundbite-driven corporate newscasts offered by the commercial broadcast networks. But these Pledge Drives are becoming increasingly shrill, longer, and off-putting.

Surely there is a better way to do this.

MarkHastings

I feel a Simpsons quote coming on..........

"If you watch even one second of PBS and don't contribute, you're a thief. A common thief!"
-- Betty White, "Missionary: Impossible"

Jeff Kleist

I'd give more if they'd STOP showing Yanni, Cats, Three Tenors, and whatever shrill little monkey they've dredged up this year to sing opera

Jason Seaver

Well, it could be worse... It could be the auction.

I always wonder why most PBS stations do this; I guess it's about getting money from people who otherwise aren't watching PBS much. It seems to have gotten worse in recent years; I think WENH (New Hampshire's PBS station) had the best plan a while ago - not many big drives, but whenever a new season of Doctor Who or Red Dwarf came in, they'd run a marathon with pledge breaks between episodes.

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Jeff Kleist

They did that here with Red Dwarf Season 8. Unfortunately the programming director that was responsible for bringing RD back to our PBS station left 2 years later, and RD went with him

Karl_Luph

I did see Rick Steves on today asking for contributions and his show is pretty informative. I do enjoy some of the WW2 history shows(the discovery of the lost U-boat was good) they have and of course the series they have of people living in the different time settings(I really learned alot from the 1940's British house series). So you're right, I should send them something, they will take small contributions if you can't afford enough for the various gift packages, right?

gregstaten

Jack - at least they finally retired "The Miracle of Life" from the pledge drive rotation. During the 90's I think that ran non-stop during some pledge drives.

-greg

My Home Theater

Steve Schaffer

The PBS affilliate here in Fresno is a joke--their idea of good Saturday night programming is reruns of The Lawrence Welk Show from the 60s. They've just applied for yet another extension from the FCC so they can once again delay their digital broadcasting obligation.

They aren't getting a dime from me.

Steve S.
I prefer not to push the subwoofers until they\'re properly run in.

Karl_Luph

As an older person and a musician, I enjoy some of the great musical talent in the Lawrence Welk Orchestra especially on the swing arrangements.I don't care for alot of the variety stuff thrown in between, just the swing.Beleive it or not, he actually had some exceptional players.Not only could alot of them play an instrument quite well, some actually sang and danced pretty good. Plus some of the girls on the show were pretty good looking lol!5 years ago I probably wouldn't of cared for any of it, but as I grew as a musician I also grew to appreciate good music and talent, plus alot of it was done live so you would see and hear mistakes and this could add to the comedy factor.

JamesMH

That silly Your Money with Suze Orman show is on a LOT.

PBS and NPR should get more taxes, then they shouldn't have to do this. Aswell as combining the local PBS stations together, like a common network to reduce costs.