roundtable: RELISTNAMEHEREgt;Save PBS: Learning to use email effectively

roundtable: RE>Save PBS: Learning to use email effectively

RE>Save PBS: Learning to use email effectively

Barry Cronin (Barry_Cronin@qmgate.wgbh.org)
Thu, 19 Jan 1995 18:14:23 -0500 

Message-Id: <199501191814239319@qmgate.wgbh.org>
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 18:14:23 -0500
From: Barry Cronin <Barry_Cronin@qmgate.wgbh.org>
Subject: RE>Save PBS:  Learning to use email effectively 
To: roundtable <roundtable@cni.org>


This letter from Henry Becton, President and General Manager of Boston 
public station, WGBH is being sent to all members. You may find his 
talking points useful:

Barry Cronin
WGBH
<barry_cronin@qmgate.wgbh.org>


Letter follows:
Some Reasons to Keep Us Around

A letter from Henry P. Becton, Jr. President and General Manager of 
the WGBH Educational Foundation

Dear WGBH Member:

We've all heard how some new leaders in Congress want to see federal 
funding for public broadcasting eliminated.  This is an issue that will 
affect not only public broadcasters, but more important, the listeners 
and viewers across the nation who value our programs.  Public 
broadcasting has long enjoyed bipartisan support, and for good reason: 

1)  A universally available, free service: Public television and radio 
remain the only free, universally available source of high-quality 
programs for millions of Americans.  If cable TV is the alternative, 
it's an unattainable one for the nearly 40 percent of American homes 
that remain "unhooked" by virtue of cost or geographic isolation.
  
2)  Good value for the public good:  Government support for public TV 
and radio costs every American about a $1 per year--less than a dime a 
month, compared to the typical monthly cable bill of more than $20.  
Ninety percent of those funds go directly back to states and communities 
for TV and radio programs and educational services, supporting our 
economy with thousands of jobs nationwide.

3)  Educational mission:  Public broadcasting is the only media service 
driven to educate rather than to deliver mega-audiences to advertisers.  
With this, comes the freedom to create programs with high educational 
content--purpose before popularity.   Unlike specialized cable channels, 
public television makes a significant investment in well-researched, 
original national programs like our WGBH-produced series NOVA and The 
American Experience.

4)  High-quality children's programs: WeUve worked hard to make public 
television a place where kids, their families, teachers and caregivers 
can find programs that are rich in educational content and pro-social 
values--programs like Sesame Street and the WGBH-produced geography 
quiz show, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?  Channel 2 now offers 
11 hours of children's shows and educational messages every weekday, 
ensuring that you and your family do have an alternative when you click 
the remote. 
 
5)  Serving our communities:  Public broadcasting is the only place on 
local TV where local issues receive more than a two-minute "sound bite."  
That's because public broadcasting stations like WGBH are locally owned 
by the communities we serve.  Public television and radio are as 
integral to the fabric of our communities as our public libraries--free 
and available to all. 

6)  A forum for diverse voices:  Public broadcasting strives to reflect 
a broad range of public opinion, giving voice to views not traditionally 
heard.  Whether it's Firing Line with William Buckley fueling debate on 
important public issues like the death penalty, our own Say Brother 
delving into topics of special interest to African Americans, or 
P.O.V.'s documentaries presenting perspectives often ignored by the mass 
media, public broadcasting is working hard to mirror the diversity of our 
nation. 
 
7)  Providing access:  Only public broadcasting is committed to giving 
underserved, disenfranchised audiences access to media.  The Caption 
Center at WGBH pioneered captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers 
more than 20 years ago.  In 1990, we opened a new door for blind and 
visually impaired viewers with our Descriptive Video Service, providing 
narration of a TV program's or home videoUs key visual elements.  Today, 
we're reaching out to viewers and listeners isolated by language, 
economics or geography.

     Together with viewer and listener contributions, federal funding is 
our most important source of support, accounting for 17 percent of public 
broadcasting's overall budget.  That's why weUd like you to consider 
writing or calling your representatives in Congress to tell them why 
public broadcasting is important to you.  The alternatives to our modest 
federal funding aren't pretty: without a little help from Washington, 
how many more pledge drives could any of us stand? 

Sincerely,

Henry P. Becton, Jr. 
President and General Manager

[CNI Home Page]