Re: New PBS President Has Boston Connection

[Dib9@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/8/00 2:13:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
norwood@mln.lib.ma.us writes:

<< (1) Try to convince Congress and the President to, over a four-to-five
 year period, divert about     $ 20 to $ 25 billion a year from the
 budget surplus to an endowment for PBS/CPB. After four or five years,
 PBS and CPB could live off the interest and no longer need to ask for
 annual federal funds. >>

Good idea.  I could even support that.  
 
<<(3) Try to end the annoying practice of pre-empting nearly all
 prime-time PBS shows during pledge weeks for mass-appeal specials that
 don't air at any other time. Such shows should be spread-out over he
 entire year.  >>

Great point.  If PBS is truly "TV worth watching" why do they change their 
programming so dramatically during pledge drives?  I know commercial TV runs 
specials during sweep weeks but they don't change their programming as 
dramatically as public TV does during pledge weeks.  I watch public TV 
primarily for public affairs shows and Maine PBS preempts all their locally 
produced public affairs shows, as well as the national shows, during pledge 
weeks.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine