Re: Digital TV Conversion

["Chris Beckwith" <beckwith@ime.net>]

Dib9@aol.com wrote:

> The bond issue is also strange because Maine Public Television is a private
> non-profit, not part of state government, and Maine tax payers will be on the
> hook for nearly $10 million if the bond passes.

You're missing another controversy: namely, the paid advertising Maine PBS 
is putting on commercial television stations here in support of the bond 
issue.  That's right: Maine PBS is spending $200K of public money to lobby 
for a bond issue to glom even *more* public money!  Now *that's* what I call 
return on investment!  What an outrage, but then again Rob Gardiner has 
always had a tin ear about public relations.  His idea of PR is killing a 
popular public affairs show when one of the panelists criticized Tabitha King, 
wife of Stephen King and a member of the board of trustees.  So much for 
public broadcasting's much-vaunted editorial independence!  He's also 
jamming the public broadcasting airwaves with unpaid ads in favor of the 
bond issue with no effort made to seek out alternative viewpoints.  
Eliminating the Fairness Doctrine cuts both ways, it seems!

So, who is playing watchdog and letting the public know what Maine PBS is 
trying to pull?  Certainly not Portland NBC affiliate WCSH-TV, which has 
declared editorial neutrality on the bond issue, citing an obvious conflict of 
interest.  The less-obvious conflict of interest is the fact that Maine PBS is 
currently one of their biggest advertisers!    The BDN piece is wimpy, wimpy, 
wimpy and the writer doesn't understand the subject nearly well enough to 
produce a coherent article. The one news entity that really knows where it's 
at on this issue is the Portland Phoenix (surprise!)  It's well worth seeking 
out, despite the misspelling of the last name of my former colleague Keith 
Shortall (acting news director of Maine Public Radio) who is openly critical of 
Gardiner's tactics.  I wonder if he'll end up like that public affairs show...

Take care,
Chris