We donate to PBS, not because of the special Festival programming, but because The Newshour with Jim Lehrer is the only fair and balanced news that we can find. On all controversial topics, they present opposing views and both sides are presented in an articulate and reasonable manner. There is no shouting, rarely any interruptions. There are no cutesy young females with skirts as short as their knowledge of the subject at hand. There is no silly chit-chat. There is no better explanation of Supreme Court activity than that provided by Marcia Coyle (sorry Nina). And you'll have to get your celebrity news about Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohen elsewhere.
So Festival comes around and the programming is clearly geared to entice viewers. Last night I watched a retrospective of folk music. The Limelighers, The Brothers Four, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, The Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, and oh so many others. I make my contribution during these shows because they will send me a bunch of CDs and a DVD of the program (absent the interruptions). Last year I got a comprehensive DVD/CD collection of one of my very favorite people...Pete Seeger.
So what's my complaint? They lie. A bold-faced lie every Festival. They would have you believe (because they tell you it is true) that your contribution will enable the station to bring you more shows like these. But do you ever see those shows except during Festival? Do you ever see one performance of Andre Rieu? The Celtic Women? The Three Tenors (choose your country)? Pete Seeger?
So I give my money, knowing that I won't ever see the program that interested me except during Festival. On the other hand, I will have a DVD and CDs to enjoy. Most of all, I will help keep PBS alive so they can continue to bring me The Newshour and the many other shows I truly enjoy. Where else can I get my fix of British comedy? Great mystery series? Nature? Frontline? And so much more.
In truth, I would not like to see PBS do the shows they promote during Festival Week on a regular basis. Twice a year is fine, thank you very much. But will you please quit saying my money will allow you continue to broadcast such shows? We both know it's not true.
8 comments:
Yes Yes ok. The Limelighters. Oh my been a long time since .... I heard them sing and Mort Sahl talk at Northrop Auditorium on the U of M campus in 1962, My favorite Festival show is that retrospect of John Denvers music. For that I will put up with interminable begging.... and even one little white lie. :)
This would bother me terribly....glad you are ok with it. Well, at least a little ok with it.
Where would we be without PBS??? I grew up on Sesame street, as well as my daughters. Great memories.
Which comes first? Maybe LOL!, followed by "Amen!" "Festival" makes me crazy, though I certainly understand its necessity. I agree wholeheartedly about their tag lines being deceptive. American Experience is one of my favs, along with Antiques Roadshow. I do love Pete Seeger so very, very much!
This post makes me want to start watching the News Hour again. Don't know why I stopped, maybe because I just basically stopped watching news altogether. But it sure would be nice to watch a news team actually do journalism and not infotainment.
I'm glad you still support PBS. It gets more important all the time.
Have watched Celtic Women several times (also saw them at a concert here.) Surely that wasn't only during pledge week.
We are so lucky here to get three PBS stations. May be on borrowed time, but we certainly appreciate it--and pledge to PBS and NPR.
We watch The News Hour ever night. Friday night is our favorite--David Books and Mark Shields are voices of sanity even when their opinions differ.
I'm not the only one who felt there was a disconnect between what was said during Festival and what was seen during the following six months.
Uh oh, it's another British comedy lover! My dad has always loved them, and I used to try to watch the shows with him but I could not find the humor in them :)
We gotcha 2-1 this season (unless we meet again in the tournament). Do you know what I'm talking about?
I worry that PBS and NPR will not make it much longer as the Republicans try to cut these from the budget.
Festivals aside, their news is the most straight forward around. We NEED public broadcasting.
love your mountain view on your header.
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