45/49

[Towntalk]

If 45/49 would use some simple common sense in scheduling, I might feel differently, but they don't. Whoever their PD is, he or she would never make it on commercial TV. Yoga at 10:00 PM? Running the same shows year after year during their fund raising drives? How many times do you think viewers will watch a five year old Susie Orman lecture on wealth? And for that matter, what kind of programming is it that would rerun a limited number of British Comedies over and over and over again.

I like British Comedies, but really, when you run, run and rerun them over and over and over again, it reaches a point where a viewer can repeat what's said without a script to read from.

There is a very large library of BBC comedy shows available to 45/49, yet just look at the schedule and see how few they use. Instead of spending our money on a very small number of shows year after year, that same money could be used by bringing in fresh material.

Then there is the matter of all the shows that they run between 2:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. that are not shown at other times. Who sits up till 4:00 A.M. to watch Roy Underhill's Woodright Shop? Oh, we could buy a VCR and record these programs, but why should we have to.

That 2:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. time slot should be used to run special programming that can be taped by schools for use in the classroom. At one time 45/49 did that very thing.

Then there's the matter of the prime time programming. When you look at the catalogue of programs that PBS has available, there are thousands of hours of programs that are never seen in the local market that are really great. Money spent on the very small handfull of shows that 45/49 actually runs would be better spent on some of these.

Certainly commercial TV leaves a whole lot to be desired, and admittedly I do not watch any of the major network programs (ABC - CBS - NBC), but at least there you don't see a very limited list of shows run over and over again. So what do I watch? The Discovery Channel - The History Chanel - The Food Channel among others. With hundreds of channels to chose from, 45/49 had better pull up it's socks and reconsider how they are programming their channel before it's too late. Already, if it weren't for the handfull of folks that are funding them along with the federal funding they get, they would be off the air.

I agree with Rick. If 45/49 had to depend solely on funds raised by viewers, absent federal funds, they would either change the way they program, or go off the air.

As to commercials ... who do you think is paying for the production of the PBS originated shows. Corporate sponsors who get their messages in at the beginning and end of the programs.

[northside lurker]

PBS has outlived its usefulness.

I disagree.  I find their programming superior to the equivalent programming on the mainstream "learning" channels.  I find that the mainstream channels tend to "dumb down" their content to appeal to the larger audience.  Also, they've become very commercial. (how many times do I have to see the ad for the program about trucks driving on ice?)

[Rick Rowlands]

PBS has outlived its usefulness.  I find no reason to support it.  Their programming is quite limited and appeals to a very narrow audience. However if they can continue to raise operating cash from those who watch it then they should continue as a member supported business. However they should not recieve any government funding to operate.

[Towntalk]

How many folks in this group watch 45/49 on a regular basis, and how many actually financially support 45/49?

Are you turned off by the incessant fund raising and inconsistent programming?

I for my part enjoy the How To and British Comedy programs, but have stopped watching because every time you turn around they are showing Fund Raising shows preempting regular programming and consistently reshow old programs over and over again.

Fortunately many of the How To shows that use to be seen only on PBS are being shown on other commercial channels.

This is just a pet gripe on my part, but I wonder how many share it.