Letters

From the July 1995 issue

(Page 6 of 6)

As an admirer of the quality programming found on PBS, I found Mr. Gillespie's remarks unsettling. I would prefer PBS to thrive, not just survive, and it needs more funding. Several times a year we must endure "pledge drives" where PBS officials beg, plead, and cajole for individual donations and still get only a small percentage of viewers to give. The deep pockets Mr. Gillespie refers to are rather shallow in my viewing area.

The suggestion that the best PBS offerings might be picked up by broadcast or cable TV is plausible, but is it desirable? Would The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour be as effective if it were interrupted by commercials? It would no longer be a news hour but a news 45 minutes. PBS could solve their funding problems with advertising, but the fact that they don't have these interruptions is an attribute.

Mr. Gillespie's personal dislike of Car Talk and Prairie Home Companion does not mean these shows are without merit. How many "landmarks of civilization" does he find on broadcast or cable TV? Other arts may be seeking a "seal of approval," but I perceive PBS as seeking only funding. Considering all the pork and waste in government spending today, the tax dollars received by CPB is money well spent.

Arthur L. Hale

Hampton, VA

Nick Gillespie assumes that programs such as Barney and Sesame Street would be picked up by broadcast or cable TV if not funded by the government. He's probably right, but they would be funded by objectionable advertising pushing products that kids would be better off without.

Public radio carries excellent classical music, as well as explanatory information on such programs as Adventures in Good Music and Performance Today. And all of this comes without the obnoxious advertising of commercial radio or television. However, only about 10 percent of listeners contribute to help fund public radio. I'm afraid that without public (government) funding, some of these "good things of life" would be lost.

R.H. Booth

Aiea, HI

Nick Gillespie replies: Arthur L. Hale and R.H. Booth are in the difficult position of admitting that the very people who tune into public broadcasting don't think enough of it to pay for it. Why then should people who don't even listen to NPR or view PBS be stuck with any part of the tab, no matter how small the bill?

Beyond that, I don't see commercials as inherently disruptive to television or radio programs. Nor do I see public broadcasting as currently devoid of advertising--most shows have fairly lengthy bits in which they list their sponsors (often including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, euphemistically defined as a "private corporation funded by the American people"). And, in fact, shows such as Barney and Sesame Street can legitimately be seen as advertisements for a dizzying array of trademarked merchandise on sale everywhere.

Contrary to Matthew C. Fox, I'm not sure that a complete withdrawal of government funding (which seems unlikely now anyway) would necessitate a shift to network-style advertising anyway. In terms of viewer donations, CPB has had a banner year so far. If government funds were actually zeroed out, I suspect that some current free riders would pony up contributions. Deep-pocketed entertainment industry types who have voiced support of public broadcasting, such as Garth Brooks, Charlton Heston, and Barbra Streisand, would surely help out.

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