Re: Pledge Week

["Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shawn Mamros" <mamros@MIT.EDU>
To: "Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>
Cc: "Boston Radio" <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: Pledge Week

> And commercial TV networks air all sorts of specials during sweeps
periods,
> the months when ratings points are used to determine advertising rates.
> Would that not be "bait and switch" as well?

First, commercial TV doesn't do it in an effort to get viewers to send them
money.  PBS shows certain shows to get people to watch and contribute with
the suggestion that these are the kind of programs that you will see on PBS
all the time and they're not.

Second, commercial TV doesn't do it to the extent of PBS.  No network dumps
90% of their shows the way that PBS does.  PBS also runs show like pop music
concerts that are never on PBS except during pledge time.  I can't think of
anything similar on commercial TV.  The types of shows that you see on the
networks are the same during sweeps.  PBS runs shows during pledge weeks
that you would never see the rest of the year.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine