roundtable: Buddy, Can You Spare a Million for a TV Show?

roundtable: Buddy, Can You Spare a Million for a TV Show?

Buddy, Can You Spare a Million for a TV Show?

Terry Dugas (DUGAST@mail.firn.edu)
Tue, 21 Feb 1995 22:31:33 EST 

Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 22:31:33 EST
From: Terry Dugas <DUGAST@mail.firn.edu>
Subject: Buddy, Can You Spare a Million for a TV Show?
To: roundtable@cni.org
Message-Id: <D313ZVQGXGVVS*/R=FIRNVX/R=A1/U=DUGAST/@MHS>


*****
> I'd like to see Terry Dugast prove me wrong by interpolating independent
> human rights & development experts into discussions on M/L, and airing
> "More Tales of the City" without someone making it first.  That WOULD be
> quite a trick!  I'd certainly pay to see it!
> 
> Paul Rosenberg
*****

Paul brings up some interesting points.  The implication for M/L is that 
they don't do enough stories on human rights.  He's right.  They also 
don't do enough stories on biological genocide, the decline of civility, 
or the socio/economic polarization of the country.  There's a lot they 
don't do.  Whether that is tragic or just a fact of the news business 
in general depends on whose ox is being gored.

But, as a programmer, my response is "so what!"  M/L represents about 
.5% of my monthly broadcast schedule.  As long as there are alternative 
sources of programs dealing with these issues, the needs of my community 
will be served.

So where will these alternative sources come from?  Truly, if Congress 
eliminates CPB there will be fewer of them.  But that's because I will 
have to spend the bulk of my dwindling dollars replacing the core 
programs provided by PBS.  

But the programs are there.  And you don't need 2 Million, or even 
200,000 dollars to make them.  There are public access TV producers on 
this list who make important, quality programs.  And they could work 
for an entire year for what "Rights and Wrongs" spends on one show.

In TV production, like real estate, the key word is location, location, 
location.  If my fading memory serves me, "Rights and Wrongs" is produced 
by Globalvision out of New York City.  No matter how effectively and 
efficiently they spend their funds, they could save 25% if they worked 
in Wisconsin, or Oregon.  If they worked in Texas or Florida, they could 
save even more.  A local production company in little old Ft. Myers, FL 
produced a wrenching documentary on peasant life in Guatemala.  He spent 
about $20K on it.  Having done time in NY as a Producer, I can say with 
complete confidence that I could have done the same show for about $100K.

You look at the issue from the standpoint of a single show or a single 
producer - there isn't enough money to make MY show!  I look at the issue 
as a programmer - I can't spit without hitting a producer who wants me to 
air a program he's already made.  I've got three book review programs on 
my schedule already - two I've acquired and one I produce myself.  Tell 
Mr. Lapham I might not need another one.

So, PBS refused to put "Rights and Wrongs" on the schedule, making it 
tougher for the producer to get funds.  Too bad.  It's a good show, 
and I hope it continues.  But, heck, PBS refused to put the shows "I" 
produced on their schedule.  But like the Producer of "Rights and 
Wrongs," I got them distributed anyway.  When Congress eliminates 
funding for Public Broadcasting (and it's when, not if,) life will be 
harder for independent producers.  The constant struggle for funding 
will be more difficult, the rewards lesser.  But programs will be 
produced, causes will be championed, issues raised.  Just ask the 
public access producers reading this list.

So the war against bias must be won on the local level.  The battles 
must be fought with all 300+ pig headed, opinionated programmers like 
me - programmers serving our local markets, not a national one.

And, according to "Electronic Media", "More Tales of the City" WILL 
be made without PBS money.  I believe it's being co-produced by HBO.

Terry Dugas
WSFP-TV
<dugast@mail.firn.edu>

"Cannons to the right of me,
 cannons to the left of me,
 volleyed and thundered.
 I should have stayed in commercial TV!"

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