For the last couple of days, I've had many people send me Charles McGrath's editorial on the relevancy of PBS in today's media market. In light of the many emails and discussions I overhead in the hallways here at the station, I asked KPBS Program Director for Television, Keith York to respond to McGrath's editorial. He sent me the following thoughts:
New York Times writer Charles McGrath asks the perennial question, in light of recent stabs at CPB appropriation in the recent Bush administration budget proposal, is public television still necessary? McGrath’s question isn’t any more thought-provoking than when Newt Gingrich questioned the institution’s existence a decade and a half ago. Unimpressed by the basic premise, I should also add that a few of his facts are either incorrect or poorly contextualized.
Thankfully the article is nothing more than an editorial. Causing many readers to ask themselves “Are newspapers still necessary?”
Barbara Cottrell
February 20, 2008 at 05:11 AM
PBS provides programming that is intelligent, witty, provocative and untainted by crude language, ranting cultists and the cheap time-filling reality programs of commercial TV. Mr. McGrath will probably never appreciate the quality of the Friday evening lineup of news and clever commentary as a welcome alternative to the 20 sec in-depth analysis of the networks. Programs such as "This Old House" (most recently re-building in New Orleans) and Huell Howser's "Road Trip" address environmental and social issues in a refreshing and thoughtful manner. The audiences for the music programs and Antiques Roadshow as well as those interviewed for other programming are average Americans and their enthusiasm, interest and perspectives are all the proof that one needs of the importance and relevance of PBS in the US.
Chris
February 20, 2008 at 10:41 PM
"hand wrenching earnestness" of Bill Moyers and "mustiness" of the News Hour - does the guy even bother to watch? Leherer's is the only newscast not poisoned by 24hr news cycles and an infotainment ethos. If this is the best the critics can come up with, PBS should be safe for some time.
JW from San Diego
February 24, 2008 at 06:48 AM
KPBS and every other PBS station, just as NPR itself, will remain relevant and viable so long they continue to shun a consistent alignment with particular political leanings and don’t favor any particular ideology or set of values over another. Neutrality, rather than biased demagoguery and predispositions, will ensure that PBS and NPR continue to sustain and solidify their place in media history. Complacency and ideology are the bane of security in the game of being the purveyor of germane and comprehensive information. That said, it wouldn’t take much of a leaning one way or another to upset this balance, thereby rendering “public broadcasting� just another pedestrian – and irrelevant – media source.
PS: Leherer for President!
Mark Chase from Tucson,AZ
March 25, 2008 at 03:54 PM
In response to whether PBS is relative in todays market, I guess you could say, "yes and no", respectively. "Yes" PBS doesn't always put on flash, bam, in your face reality shows that appeal to a small group of viewers. "YES" PBS sets itself on a higher standard, the demographics prove that, yet PBS appeals to everyone, young, old, rich, not so rich, etc...
"NO", PBS doesn't use the lowbrow approach to entertainment, titillating our senses with nonsense, so I guess PBS isn't relative to the segment market that enjoys, "Monday Night Smackdown" or "Desperate Housewives" or "Dirt", etc.. Yet, PBS enlightens, entertains, trains the brain with thought provoking shows like, "Nova", "American Experience", "In The Life", "Mystery", "American Playhouse", wow!
So with kindest regards to whether PBS is relative, I must say, it most certainly is and if PBS goes, there will go one of the last bastions for freedom in broadcasting. Unfettered by commercial sponsorships, able to leap tall buildings with just a few more donations. Nope, leave PBS alone all you naysayers, it is our soul, my soul.
Mark Chase
Brad from La Mesa
March 29, 2008 at 10:20 PM
"They will take my" PBS "from me when they pry it from my cold dead hands."
"My" PBS"ssssssioussssssssssss "Gollummm"
