Re: New PBS President Has Boston Connection

["Douglas J. Broda" <djbroda@mindspring.com>]

At 02:24 PM 2/8/00 -0500, PublicRef2 wrote:
>I feel that there are a few things that Ms. Mitchell should do as head
>of PBS:
>
>(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 foru or five years,
>PBS and CPB could live off the interest and no longer need to ask for
>annual federal funds.
>

Not bloody likely to get through Congress, even in negotiations.

>(2) Try to streamline the buracracy at PBS.

Not a governmental specialty, but essential.

>(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. Perhaps if a multi-billion endowment is established, per
>suggestion (1), on-air fundraiding could be eliminated or reduced to
>brief : 30 second pitches.
>

I don't think they'll cut the fundraising down, but I do think altering it
is feasible. The shuffling is too great, and it's too concentrated to
limited and arguable benefit. I'd take the same amount of fundraising,
spread out more and messing up schedules less. (How much can PBS force this
on locals, though?)

>(4) Be bold in he field of news and public afairs by having Jim Lehrer's
>"Newshour" air live from 8 to 9 P.M. Eastern time. 

Agreed, for all the same reasons. I also agree with moving the business
show and extending the kids' block. An international (with *subtitles*, not
dubbing) block sometime in the week would also be nice.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas J. Broda
Broda and Burnett
Attorneys at Law
80 Ferry Street, Troy, NY 12180 USA
(518) 272-0580
djbroda@mindspring.com