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Media

2003-05-01 14:10:00

Why interrupt for pledge?

:  Why do you interrupt my favorite programs for pledge?

Don Checots Question:  Why do you interrupt my favorite programs for pledge? Answer:  The idea of asking viewers to support their favorite programs on PBS is not new.  This concept goes back to the late sixties, and for the most part, has remained much the same since then. It is called PLEDGE.     However, before going too far on the pledge concept, it is important to understand that viewers paying for programs on TV goes back to the very start of the television industry.     In the early days, companies commonly would sponsor entire programs with very visible recognition opportunities for the product.  For example, Texaco sponsored the Milton Berle Comedy Hour and the Texaco name was very prominent throughout the entire program.This in-direct appeal to viewers to use and be loyal to a particular brand has evolved dramatically in the last sixty-years.  Now, a thirty-minute commercial TV program may contain ten minutes or more of advertisements.  Again, an in-direct appeal to you, the viewer, to buy the product.     Public Television, on the other hand, uses a more direct approach: On-air pledge drives.  A few times, each year, we go on air and directly appeal to the viewers watching a particular program to help pay for it by becoming a member of the station.     While it may seem we are "always" interrupting a viewers favorite programming and asking for members, PBS' total number of minutes yearly in pledge drives is very small compared to commercials on commercial television.      So, when you watch PBS during a pledge drive, remember, we are raising dollars to pay for programming for you, the viewer - not to provide a return on investment to a shareholder that may not even live in our community.     Every PBS station is a locally owned and operated television station that belongs to the community it serves.  The dollars raised from pledge drives goes beyond support for programming, most PBS stations also use these dollars to help promote and support outreach projects and a Ready-to-Learn service.       An example of an outreach project would be the recent program by Bill Moyers: On Our Own Terms, which dealt with end of life issues in America.   For example, our local public television station, KPTS, participated in a project that took the message of this program beyond the television screen, by creating resources and establishing connection opportunities for interested viewers.       The NOVA project Evolution also helped to precipitate conversation and learning with an outreach project that provided education to both teachers and students through a multi-faceted program which continues to have impact several months after its inception.      A local Ready-to-Learn (RTL) service includes workshop training for parents, teachers and child care providers to assist in using the program driven curriculum from many of the children's programs shown on PBS.  The RTL service allows television to be more than a passive medium for children, providing resources and activities that are both fun and educational.        Another RTL service is the First Book Project, which provides reading materials to families who might otherwise not be able to afford books.  Thereby, fostering early learning skills and reading habits.  Each month for a nine-month period a child receives his or her very own book, creating a personal reading library at home.   In addition to books, families receive activity sheets to extend learning at home and to build upon the success of intergenerational learning.      The capability of PBS to provide a programming, outreach and RTL service is contingent upon direct appeals to the viewing public during pledge drives.  As a locally owned and operated television station, viewers are entitled to understanding how their dollars are used to do good things in their region, because a PBS station depends entirely upon you, the viewer, for support.