Lynn Sislo has a few words about "Augustfest" for the public television folks in Oklahoma:
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against PBS's fundraising; it's just the way they go about it. They entice viewers with shows that are better than most of what you would normally see on PBS and the message, delivered over and over again in 15 to 20 minute segments between brief excerpts of the actual show, is, "if you would like to see more of this kind of show give us money and we will send you a coffee mug or a CD." So lots of people call in pledges, then, after the two weeks is over they go back to the same old shows they have been broadcasting for years.So I have a few suggestions for PBS: 1. A little more show and little less telethon. Keep the interruptions down to no more than five minutes at a time and no more than two, maybe three times an hour. 2. Actually deliver on your promises of new and better shows. Don't lure people with all those great specials during "Augustfest" and then go back to the same old stuff the rest of the year. 3. Call it something else besides "Augustfest". It's not a festival; it's a two week long telethon. Let's have a little honesty.
I'm with Lynn: the public television people should show their appreciation for the taxpayers who are already paying for a good bit of "public" broadcasting's expenses, whether they want to or not, whether they even watch public TV or not.
UPDATE: Actually, to be clear, I'm not quite with Lynn on this. There should be no "public," that is, state-funded, broadcasting at all. But it's not going away any time soon.
Posted by Craig Ceely at August 25, 2004 03:49 PM