Should PBS get rid of pledges?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
It's another PBS Pledge Week. Should PBS get rid of pledges and go with commercials? What's worse 8 minutes of "final expenses" insurance ads or 8 minutes of begging? And before any good program, you get to see a mini commercial about how great some billion dollar corp. is by donating a few tax deductible bucks.
 

I think they need to weigh it against how many pledges they get on average. With all things techy in the world now they're probably hurting for support.
 
Send them a check and you will get lots of mail for a few years at least.
 

I'd rather listen to 8 minutes of asking for support and donations. PBS has some good quality programming that you won't find on the local stations that have excessive ads every few minutes, for prescription drugs, accident lawyers, and toilet paper. I say don't get rid of the pledges or the PBS programming.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I'd rather listen to 8 minutes of asking for support and donations. PBS has some good quality programming that you won't find on the local stations that have excessive ads every few minutes, for prescription drugs, accident lawyers, and toilet paper. I say don't get rid of the pledges or the PBS programming.
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Hmmm.......when you stop and think about it I'd say that accident lawyers and toilet paper are kinda related.
 
By surviving on public subscriptions, the PBS is able to operate independently of corporate pressure. I occasionally listen to PBS radio and it is always of a very high quality and entirely different other sources of news and interesting programs. I would advise against abandoning pledges unless you are considering establishing a publicly funded service along the lines of the BBC.
 
Like so many people, I listen to PBS some portion of every day but I have never sent them a dime. I threaten to every year and maybe this year I really will...
 
I use the PBS streaming app on my Apple TV, and there's no pledge drives since it's not live TV. I'm happy to be a supporter of this excellent programming, particularly Masterpiece Theater and lately, the Great British Bake Off.
 
I enjoy listening to NPR radio when driving early a.m. During "Pledge Week", I do have to listen to something else as the programming is almost all "begging". I guess the donation concept keeps NPR and PBS 'non-profit' and give certain tax advantage. It also qualifies them for some government subsidies. I say leave it as is if the current protocol allows for the quality programming we cannot get elsewhere.
 
I just don't watch PBS during pledge week. The pledges had to increase when the government support decreased during GW's presidency. The money was redirected.
 
I'd give to PBS. They do have fine programming. BUT, if I gave $10, I would get $30 worth of mail asking for more money. My uncle died of a disease, and my aunt asked for donations to find a cure rather than flowers. So, I gave $50. Well, they sold my name and info to every charity known to man. For years my mail box was stuffed. And much of the mail was glossy, expensive looking, bundles-not cheap items. I'm not going to donate so that they can waste my donation by spending it asking for more. Bah Humbug!
 
I never understood why radio stations get subsidies. Why can't they make it on their own? Why should everyone's tax dollars go to them?
l just don't get it.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I'd rather listen to 8 minutes of asking for support and donations. PBS has some good quality programming that you won't find on the local stations that have excessive ads every few minutes, for prescription drugs, accident lawyers, and toilet paper. I say don't get rid of the pledges or the PBS programming.
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I agree....being able to watch quality without commercials is well worth it. During the presidential debates or the conventions, you could watch without a commentators butting in every ten minutes.
 

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