Can you think of a worse public television station than PBS-affiliate Channel 39? It's really embarrassing. It's the last place any of us would look for local news. Its light news program - Tempo - is very much like reading one of the puff blogs telling us everything is wonderful. The last time I watched, host Amy Burkett was actually wearing one of her plastic smiles as she quizzes her audience about how many women will die from ovarian cancer this year.I've seen better. Much better. Last year, while Amy Burkett shoveled spaghetti down the throats of congressional candidates, PBS-affiliate WPSU-TV developed a website featuring video, audio and interactive quizzes to help provide easy to use information about 80 state and U.S. congressional candidates from 27 counties.
Our "public" television stopped conducting debates for local office long ago, sending the public the subliminal message that these races are insignificant. True, in 2006, Burkett did conduct rushed interviews with state house and senate candidates, but barely gave them time to say anything besides their name. "Where does the time go?" "We must move along."
Channel 69's Business Matters, a production of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, is a bigger public service than anything produced by those public parasites. And Tony Iannelli gets no state grants to defray the costs of his entertaining program.
In addition to its refusal to cover elections, Channel 39 converted to digital from analog before the required date, leaving many of its viewers watching snow. While for-profit stations like Channel 69 held off until the last possible minute, Channel 39 had no trouble suffered no pangs of conscience over the viewers who lacked either the time or money to get a converter box. To hell with them.
Now, according to LVPoliblog, the state has cut Channel 39's funding by 90%. That's been confirmed by a news release from el Presidente Pat Simon, who is at Channel 39's tiller. Simon acknowledges that "PBS39 will halt all new production on our original Tempo!, a production that has been a community asset for ten years. At this time we are able to continue with Tempo InDepth and Tempo PublicSquare."
Those shows are even worse than the original.
Simon even whines about the $5 million state grant, undisturbed, for a new building because it "is restricted to building a new building and cannot be used for operating purposes."
I have a suggestion. Let the state keep that money, too.
I supposed they'll be fundraising on television 52 weeks per year, begging us for money.
Listen! Do you hear that sound? Shhh! It's the world's smallest violin.
Update: LVCI has chimed in on Channel 39,too. "I would be well satisfied just having a repeater transmitter situated on top of South Mountain. No need for a local studio."
What is your problem? This is a puff blog for all things Stoffa.
ReplyDeleteA puff blog would ot tolerate trolls like you.
ReplyDeleteI have not watched 39 since I fled the L.V..Let it die it was bad.
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more.Those in the valley who have sought real local news have been underserved and poorly served for years.
Scott Armstrong
Channel 39 use to have a few
ReplyDeleteminority based TV shows that highlighted our rich diversity? When current staff came in, those shows eliminated.
As long as that executive director rakes in more than $100K...It is a disgrace and now gambling dollars will keep inept staff in place for decades.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteCan't you somehow freeze that person's entries from your blog? He is a torment for all of us.
Presidente Pat Simon, who is at Channel 39's tiller. Simon acknowledges that "PBS39 will halt all new production on our original Tempo!, a production that has been a community asset for ten years. At this time we are able to continue with Tempo InDepth and Tempo PublicSquare."
ReplyDeleteWho is she kidding!
tony's show does receive public dollars. it's biggest sponsor is LANTA. watch the show and at the end it will tell you that this program is brought to you by... LANTA is first.
ReplyDeleteWhy is PBS-39 moving into a new building at SteelStax when they have no money?
ReplyDeleteFree public-access programs like "County Lines" on RCN provide better community service than Ch. 39. Production quality may not be as fancy, but program content is much more valuable.
Item 1
ReplyDeleteDo we to spend $49 million for the projected cost for the performing arts and broadcast center planned by ArtsQuest and PBS-39?
Item 2 (2006 IRS Form 990)
Do we really need to spend $5-8 million a year on PBS39 when you could just stick a relay transmitter up on the Mtn considering there is less then 10 hours weekly in local programming?
So we need to pay the top 5 employees salaries from $75,218 to $103,096?
Do we need to pay CEO Pat Simon $211,201 a year?
I say "do we", because taxpayers provide the largest portion.
Please tell me why the station should receive any government funding? The game has changed since public television was set up.
ReplyDeleteThere are literally hundreds of channels to choose from now. What PBS is offering is not much different from what is offered on other stations. Obviously, what they are offering is not being watched by very many or they could find the private sponsors to underwrite their programming.
Also - if my count of satellite dishes along N. 7th Street in Allentown is any indication - lower-income people are not having any difficulty accessing those channels offered by private companies.
Continuing to use tax dollars for PBS is a waste of money. Funding for public television should be eliminated at all levels (federal and state).
Unfortunately, the closest thing to eternal life that many of us will ever see is a government program. (Quote borrowed, source unknown).
"Can't you somehow freeze that person's entries from your blog? He is a torment for all of us."
ReplyDeleteI did block his IP, but he is still getting in via an AOL proxy server somehow. I have two alternatives - delete his comments or enable moderation. I prefer the former bc moderation tends to stifle discussion.
"tony's show does receive public dollars. it's biggest sponsor is LANTA."
ReplyDeleteIt's not a grant, but a commercial. They get something in return. It's run in a for-profit station. But let me tell you, his lttle show is more of a public service than ALL of the broadcasting produced by 39.
"Do we to spend $49 million for the projected cost for the performing arts and broadcast center planned by ArtsQuest and PBS-39?"
ReplyDeleteI saw the plans for Artsquest and it is a wondefrul project. But we just hand the money out without asking for anything in return. There are never any strings attached demanding quality.
"Do we need to pay CEO Pat Simon $211,201 a year?"
That's just obscene. She probably thinks she deserves it, too. No wonder the station had no regard for low income viewers - the kind that have no cable - when they swtched from analog to digital w/o telling anyone and in advance of the deadline.
I was part of a discussion on this yesterday. Channel 39, to be a true Public Television Station, should be put under the control of a State University. This happens in other parts of the country. I know of two state supported schools in other states that have Public Television stations on campus facilities and use them as educational tools in their journalism departments.
ReplyDeleteThe way Ch 39 is used in our community is a travesty. I would kick out the entire administration and let Lehigh/Desales/ or Lafayette take it over.
I can't fathom for a minute why they would want to build a new station at the Casino for Channel 39. What a waste! Why do they need newer facilities if they can only afford half the staff?
ReplyDeleteThe Henson family has made big money marketing the muppets. What do you think a network would pay for exclusive rights to air muppet programming?
We argued last night about student run public stations. I think that would be the only way to go. Why shouldn't a state institution offer broadcast journalism facilities? Let the students create and produce their own news and community focused pieces. That's more appealing to me as a use of tax dollars than letting Amy Burkett put on makeup and spout her airheaded thoughts.
I miss Shel Seigel (sp). His personality was riveting. 39 hasn't been the same since he left.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Bill Moyers can float them a loan from all the cash he's culled from PBS over the years.
If it is legally viable, I like Chris Casey's remarks. But why let the private schools use it? Why not let the local community colleges (i.e. Lehigh County Community College and Northampton County College) and other local state schools have access to it? I know that Parkland High School and N.C.C. already have programs at their schools where students actually put on a production in front of the camera. From time to time, these programs would air on Service Electric. These schools already have the framework in place. Again, if legally viable, it shouldn't be hard to make the transition to WLVT.
ReplyDeleteShel Siegel was good, but since he was caught doing funny things with the auctions / fund raisers, the station slowly declined.
Peace, ~~Alex
Whatever happened to "Soccer Made In Germany" with Toby Charles, Ch. 39?
ReplyDeleteShel Seigl used to do the Muhlenberg - Moravian football game annually.
Alex, I should have included LCCC and NCCC in my comment. You are right, the High Schools could be involved, but I think that might be a bit bulky to administer fairly. Think about how screwed up School district funding already is, the kids in Parkland have it a lot better than ASD, don't you think? Servicing the high schools may be something the Cable Providers could do with their public access to fulfill their FCC service in the community requirements.
ReplyDeletePut the Public station in the hands of the state institutions of higher learning. I think that is the best solution to a bad situation. I have no doubt the kids would surprise us with what they find worth reporting and doing stories on.
Actually, that's how I got to know Shel Seigel. My freshman year at college, I didn't play football. I played rugby instead. So I worked in sports management and sports information departments.
ReplyDeleteWhen he came to Moravian to broadcast the game, I was in the booth with him, along with Don Cunnigham; who worked in the Moravian College's administration department dealing with the dssemination of information to the public.
Anyway, it was a cold day. And hot chocolate and hot dogs were brought up to the press box. Before anyone could get a drink of cocoa or a hot dog, Shel had put away about six dogs and two cups of cocoa. God bless him!
After that, my whole outlook on WLVT was tainted. Ha!
Mr. Casey, that sounds good.
Peace, ~~Alex
Pat Simon makes $211,201 a year?
ReplyDeleteAnd they lay off 20 people because of a $900,000 cut in state funding?
I think Pat Simon is making TOO MUCH MONEY.
PBS has been ruining children's education with nonsense for far too long. Educational standards and achievement have sunk in the age of Big Bird. Nobody gets a red mark on a test paper and everybody's a prodigy. Here's some addition by subtraction: Make PBS go away altogether. Wouldn't that be cRaZy in the land of government hockey arenas amid 10% unemployment?
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me they were going to do a special on the Dutch. Supposedly it will be about all the different type of dykes.
ReplyDeleteI'd just as soon get WHYY as our main PBS station. I don't like the way 39 picks and chooses which PBS programs to show and replacing them with really poor programming usually having to do with music from the 1950's or Lawrence Welk. They provide no local public service except the occasional documentary. Cut the fact and give us WHYY.
ReplyDeleteWe all get WHYY already. Do you mean you think that with WHYY available they should save money and dump WLEV? By the way, I agree that WHYY is better as well. As just about most of the public channels I have seen in my travels.
ReplyDeleteNo question WLEV is one of the most vapid and wasted public resource around. Its loss would not be a major loss for the Valley. They really need a serious senior staff shakeup.
What I don't understand about PBS is that they make all these shows:
ReplyDeletetake Sesame Street and they become money manufacturers through "tickle me ELMO licenses" and PBS is crying for money
They need to take a piece of the action.
When talking about radio (public radio and college stations), I highly suggest WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh's station 91.3 FM, Lafayette's station 104.9 FM, Muhlenberg's station 91.7 FM, and Moravian's station on the AM band.
ReplyDeleteAll of those stations with the exception of Moravian's, play an hour of Arabic music on Sundays. Actually, that is the highest rated hour of the week!
Peace, ~~Alex
Besides the lack of local programming initiatives over the decades, WLVT has been forced to offer "second-tier" programming to its audience because of declining finances. While the lost of state funding was beyond its control, not so the horrible decision to build a palace to itself, a misuse of member funds. Here's the scoop on WLVT's change in status to the Valley's number 2 PBS station: http://www.current.org/2012/07/pbs-discount-plan-a-no-brainer-for-wlvt/
ReplyDelete