I Was wondering if any ofyou watch PBS regularly what shows? Do you like The NEWSHOUR? I find Jim Lehrer and the rest to be fair to all sides.I like POV Independent Lens films that touch on an issue important to the filmmaker. Frontline ACL especially when a Texmex group is on like Flaco Jimenez. PBS specials.What should PBS'S role be in today's TV landscape?

Monty Python's Flying Circus


There used to be a program called The Prisoner on PBS. I haven't seen it in many years. I wish they'd re-run it.

I've not watched PBS, other than "The News Hour" a coupla times, in years.

What Daveyboy1 said. I don't watch TV often but Frontline and Independent Lens are both good shows and Antiques Road Show is an occasional guilty pleasure.

I have to wonder how much big corporate dollars have tainted the message in some of the programs though.

They did one of there fund raisers and had Pink Floyd "Pulse" concert......IT WAS AWESOME. Have caught other great concerts on there as well over the years. Moody Blues comes to mind as well.

Being a political junkie, I record McLaughlin Group and Washington Week and watch them at some point each weekend. Also, I download the News Hour podcasts and listen to them on my iPod or on my office PC.

World at War [years ago when they ran it]
Ballroom Dancing
Caprial's Kitchen
Lawrence Welk

Herb

I'm with Sutton. Those are the two shows I try to catch each Friday evening, along with NewsHour. (I enjoy just seeing Gwen Ifill - love that smile of hers!) I also tape good historical/educational special (the recent series about the Supreme Court I will use in a HS history class).

Anything with Robson Green in it. (Mystery!)
Masterpiece Theatre (I LOVED jane Eyre the last 2 weeks)
Frontline
Independent Lens (POV)
NOVA
Oregon Field Guide
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (busted a gut when it was on in UT)
Austin City Limits (depending on who's playing)

I won't watch during pledge drives, especially when they show that same old moldy Grateful Dead concert & movie over and over every year, and expect deadheads to be drawn to it, yet again.

My parents are Newshour junkies, I never call them when it's on, I don't even know if they answer the phone...and it's damn annoying when you're over there, everyone ceases to exist.

Hey Edselehr -- what do you think? Does Gwen Ifill being so smart make her hotter-looking?

Hey Merkin.....they did "Pulse" from Pink Floyd just recently. Awesome, Awesome concert. I actually went out and bought both the DVD concert and the audio CD after that. Cannot get enough of the Floyd!

What!?! Why didn't you just send them the $300 to get the CD and DVD on the monthly payment plan? Think of all the gas you wasted to save $250. Don't you feel guilty that you "stole" it (watched it for free) from OPB?

Na...I only caught the last half but my wife watched the whole thing!

Ordered online from Barnes and Noble so no wasted gas from me.....except after last nights dinner of bean burito's anyway! LOL

Yeah, Mrs. Merkin, you're right about Frontline.
Great program, even if it slants a tad left.
But for Public Broadcasting, that's expected.
Love the announcer's voice, too. He could do Radio.

Herb

Yea Herb, reality has a well-known leftward slant.

Sutton - damn straight about Ifill. Brains, looks, and a pleasing voice. Not "I want to jump her" looks, but rather "what an amazingly attractive woman" looks. Always a pleasure to see her on the tube.

OPB has been promo-ing a cruise fundraiser, and Ifill is listed as one of the celebrities who will be attending. Wonder how she looks in a bikini?

Frontline,
Nova
New Yankee Workshop,
Mystery,
Monty Python

And my wife and I settle down every Saturday night to watch "As Time Goes By"

And yes, we are regular contributors.


Herb,
Your right about the voice of the guy who narrates Frontline (Will Lyman). He could also do BMW ads.

I'm saving money to have Will Lyman do some voice-overs for me. I'll just play them through my boom-box as I walk down the street. Narrating my day.

"Yeah, Mrs. Merkin, you're right about Frontline. Great program, even if it slants a tad left." - I would agree that the topics are ones that, on the surface, appeal to the left. However, their treatment is nothing but equal. Did anyone see the Meth one a week or so ago? Not the one that followed it that was locally produced, but the Frontline that tracked Oregon's meth issues. Deeply fascinating.

Oregon Art Beat - Depending on who's playing.

Austin City Limits - Depending on who's playing.

I used to be an Oregon Field Guide addict, but it's been years since I watched it regularly. Also used to love This Old House (still do, I guess) but life has gotten busy over the years and TV watching time has gotten less and less.

kcts 9 runs to death the black and white Roy Orbison concert with George Harrison et al to death during pledges. Like it but enough already. Moyers Ive grown tired of but liked his last interview series with authors having to do with philosophy and religion. I agree about Gwen Ifill JMG Group crack me up. Wish Jeff Douglas would voice something Id hear him on OFG. also I think he did a voice over for a special on the national parks. Like his style I'm a big fan.

NOVA
Oregon Field Guide
History Detectives (produced by OPB)
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow UK
Frontline

Although I am certainly not a person who worships public broadcasting, I feel that I have to acknowledge Frontline for some of the recent pieces that they have run on terrorism, especially Islamic terrorist cells operating in North America. A recurring theme has been that jihadist Web sites played an important role in turning young North American Muslims into would-be militants.

One suspicion that I have had about public broadcasting is not whether they lean "left" (that is a broad, ill-defined claim), but whether they tend to favor public-sector solutions over private enterprise. For instance, a few months ago, Frontile ran a piece about Internet access that, in my opinion, went out of its way to make the case that governments should take it upon themselves to deliver Internet access to citizes as a utility (much like water, sewers, and in some cases electricity and garbage collection).

Flying Circus
(can't forget Personal Best while we're at it!)
NOVA
New Yankee Workshop
Woodwright's Shoppe
Jakers! (yeah, I know....at times I appear to be just a big kid....read on.......)
Arthur (not as much nowdays as I used to watch him years ago, but even at 22 I gotta have my cartoons!!)
Nightly Business Report
Motor Week
This Olde House

.........and I used to love Bill Nye the Science Guy (and really, who didn't?) and it's quite a shame he decided to quit making the programme. (Although, I do have several 6-8hr. VHSes of shows taped off channel 10, circa 1996-1998 or so.....)

Also, don't know if we can count Golden Hours as PBS (maybe we could?) but I get quite a kick out of Rod James and Basil, especially if Jerry Delaunay happens to be in the booth with them. I tend to find "Oregon Today" and "Oregon PM" useful because I don't currently subscribe to a print newspaper (and, can't safely read a paper whilst driving to work! CAN listen to it on the radio tho!!)

I remember back when they had DCI (Drum Corps International - field marching bands) ... I can't get enough of that, seeing as I was on a DCI roster before my senior year in high school but had to leave because I moved 1500 miles away. Poetry on a football field.

Anyone remember the Red Green show? It was Canadian, very much sophomoric slapstick humor ... typical redneck fare, but presented differently and hilarious. I also liked a lot of the British humour (Have You Been Served?, the Monty Python stuff, anything with Rowan Atkinson) ...

I just don't get enough to tune in anymore.

Herb, I'm surprised to see you even watch OPB, which my conservative friends call Oregon's Public Bullshit, PBS -- Pushing Bull Shit and NPR -- Now Pissing Republicans.

Like most kids born in 1970, I started on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street. I have been hooked on PBS ever since.

Growing up, my Mom used to make gluten steaks during episodes of Doctor Who. She called them, "Who Chops" because it took a two-plus hour episode to whip them up.

I love Monty Python's Flying Circus too. British television, for all of the silly rules and regulations, has still put some of the finest information and entertainment on the air. I am glad that we get to share some of the best of their best.

I will not even attempt to hide my longtime crush on Elyse Luray of the History Detectives. I also agree that Independent Lens and Frontline are both incredible shows. I try to catch Oregon Art Beat, although I do regret that it wasn't around to feature William Stafford and so many others.

Does anyone else remember a great Canadian show called, Seeing Things? It was a cross between Columbo and the Twilight Zone.

Hey Radioblogman-Not only is a broken clock correct twice a day, much of OPB programming is indeed wonderful and hard to find elsewhere.

Also-Just like the Insight announcer, Jeff Douglas indeed had shown he has the pipes for Radio!

Herb

New Zoo Review.

I'm going to puke.

I can't believe I forgot Red Green Show! So funny!

Also, I LOVE PBS's "Kipper The Dog" on "On Demand" The only TV that Baby M. is allowed to watch.

I really really want that newly isued DVD set of old school Sesame Street. The very first years, pre-Elmo, when it was geared to inner-city kids. Classic!

If PBS programing is so great, why cant it survive in a competitive environment?

Why does it have to be supported with tax money?

It can't survive in a competitive environment.

I'm ok with public funding of art, as well. Just don't mock people of faith.

Herb

The word "Public" comes to mind. Non-profit public service television. "Listener supported Oregon Public Broadcasting" I think I will contribute this year even though I rarely watch it anymore. It needs to be kept running just to spite syndicated television!

Was Bumpity on OPB?

The production value alone makes me think " Yes."

Dont you mean, non-profit, for the elitists, who
want the general public to pay for their entertainment.

.

Bob Griggs' creation, Bumpity, was on KATU from 1971-1985. I remember the surreal episode when he lost his eye. My favorite librarian, Mrs. McNutt, was also a frequent guest. It had some elements that later made Reading Rainbow a big hit, but it was never on OPB.

Mrs. Merkin, my folks are the same way about Jim, Gwen and the gang at 7 o'clock.

3-2-1 CONTACT! "LETS MAKE CONTACT" 3-2-1 CONTACT! Remember that show???
OR what about Captain Kangaroo. And don't forget

"WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMAN SANn Diego"

Mr. Bean, "Are You being served ", is one of the damn funniest
shows I've ever heard. Those Brits have A wicked sense of humor!! I love British comedies, so funny!

For a brief, shining moment, during the 1940s, the commercial broadcast radio networks did compete with news coverage, public affairs programming, and news analysis (although they had to be careful about this one because they were not supposed to editorialize on-air). World War II radio news coverage actually drew high ratings, major sponsors, and critical acclaim over the immediacy with which this medium could bring in events happening on the other side of the globe.

This type of dedication to public service started to decline for a number of reasons. After the end of WWII, there was no big single news event to keep audiences rivetted; ratings for news shows started to drop, and many of the sponsors took their money elsewhere. The focus in radio programming shifted away from news and public affairs to big-name entertainers and personalities. A similar slide away from from more intellectual programming happened on television in the 1950s, as that technology quickly broadened its demographic penetration from just the wealthy people who could afford early televisions to most of the American population. On TV, management started to notice that light entertainment like game and variety shows cost less to produce and brought in bigger ratings than documentary programs. Managers of the networks decided that they wanted the biggest financial return possible on their investments, so they chose to produce cheap programs that brought in big ratings and consequently more eager advertisers.

Some critics, like Edward R. Murrow argued that the networks should invest in public affairs programs, even though the returns are not easily quantifiable (one argument that Murrow made was that serious news programs are valuable because they elevate the reputation of the network). Unfortunately, the guys calling the shots wrote him off as somewhat of a crackpot for holding this viewpoint.

By the 1960s, a number of people, including Fred Friendly (an associate of Murrow), had come to the conclusion that the television networks were not going to change their ways. In the late 1960s (I think 1967 was the exact year), legislation was passed that founded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Many markets had non-commercial television stations on the air since the 1950s, but there was no national organization to provide funding or program exchange for them. The 1967 leglislation created such an organization, and Fred Friendly was one of the key people advocating for this.

I believe that the actions of the three networks were responsible for creating CPB/PBS. If the management of the networks had listened to Murrow and incorporated educational and public affairs programs into their schedules, there might have never been a push to create the CPB legislation.

I really don't watch that much television these days, but one thing that does stand out about this kind of programming is the low key presentation.

IMHO, it's in the public interest to provide this kind of programming for younger people. The AD-laden, loud, distracting programming found nearly everywhere else is not that good for a lot of kids.

It's not a bad idea for others too. Many of the programs listed here are great programs. Watching them is an experience that's hard to get elsewhere. Worth it again, for those reasons alone.

Alfredo, I agree with much of your post. It shows the cause and effect in a way that most folks on either side cannot see.

The CPB was created to offset the commercial driven garbage mill that television was becoming. During the 1960s, a good product was viewed as normal, but now it is "elite" or "special" or derided as left of center.

"Quality" should not be viewed as "exclusive" or "snobby" or "marginal" -- if the word is to continue to mean anything. In fact, if more folks loudly demanded quality from all of the networks, many of the hacks who run entertainment these days would be unemployed.

So, everyone who has lowered our standards should thank their lucky stars for public broadcasting. It keeps them fed too.

New Yankee Workshop tomorrow afternoon!

Oh! And my wife and I got hooked on "Blackadder" when it was on - funny as hell! And a chance to see Hugh Laurie ("House") before he got all medical and serious.

Although I don't have anything against trying to convey excitement in broadcast TV and radio presentation when appropriate, I am starting to think that in the last 15-20 years, some producers have gone overboard with graphics and other obnoxious tactics to grab the attention of fickle viewers.

In my opinion, the advent of digital video has made this worse because now that cameras are lightweight, there seems to be a comlpusion to shake them around to produce a "documentary" look (to me this look might be better described as seasick or unprofessional). There are also a lot of eye candy graphics on TV that do very little to help convey the meaning of the program (like the NBC Nightly News, where the anchor is standing, and animated graphics appear in the background). Even PBS succumbs to this every now and then: For instance, Nova occasionally seems to do a program targetted at younger viewers. Because this is an audience that has come to expect a lot of visual stimulation, thanks to video games, action movies, and music videos, what Nova had to do to hold their attention made me cringe.

Back in 1963 KOAP-TV channel 10 would sign off the air three times a day!

Sign on at 9am to 11:45am sign off.
Sign on at 1pm to 4:15pm sign off.
Sign on 7pm to 10:30pm sign off.

One of the BIG programs during the day was called "General Hygiene" which was most likely shown in schools, being on the air at 9am and then again at 11am. This was an hour program. Also during the day was "French" at 1pm. "Painting" at 2pm and "Modern Math" at 4pm.

A Good response to the thread I Started. Here is something else related to PBS.Some people who have worked on the commercial networks have gone to PBS. Judy Woodriff Roger Mudd before retirement and some others. And viceversa Robert Crowlitch John Hockenberry Moyers did both. So my question for you is Does one get a pay cut from going from a commercial network to PBS and vice versa?

Wow! Craig, I didn't know that!

The recent Paul McCartney special from Abbey Road was awesome. Oh, how I drooled over that Studer J37 and the EMI Redd console.

I also have to mention Bob Ross. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy watching someone paint a picture in half an hour.

As many of you may have read on the other side, Mike Tondreau, W7BBR, VP of Engineering at Oregon Public Broadcasting, has passed away. It seems a rather appropriate tribute to be discussing what PBS has meant to us in our lives.

A little while ago, I watched a 1990 interview with Fred Friendly. Actually, he was somewhat dismayed with the state of public broadcasting back then because he felt that it, too, had started to lose its way. I think that what he wanted to see was more serious educational (as in TV in the classroom) type programming, like what Craig describes from the 1963 OPB television schedule. Instead, Friendly said, Public television had succumbed to broadcasting too many nature shows that depicted "animals fornicating." If you want to see this interview, go to archive.org and search for "The Power of the Media." Despite being a pretty old guy, Friendly comes across as energetic and extremely passionate about what he had to say.

It is ironic how much power Fred Friendly gained with the momentum of one good project. I think his story ought to inspire the young news producers of today.

His only claim to fame at one point was compiling the "I Can Hear It Now" records with Edward R. Murrow. This, of course, led to the "Hear It Now" radio series, and eventually, the "See It Now" television program. He went from editing and producing a record to producing a national network news show in a span of less than five years.

If anyone was King Midas in media back then, it had to be Murrow. Though he radically departed from many of the things that made the network special in Murrow's time, before he retired, Fred Friendly was CBS to a lot of people.

It is hard for me to deify him too much knowing how poorly Murrow, Eric Severeid and others were treated by his office at the end of their careers. Still, he was a pioneer, enthusiastic and very successful.

I should note, the PBS program NOW. Has a local connection. But I can't seem to remember where???

Bill Moyers, just because the cons hate him so much.

New favorites for a whole new audience:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=74d0d601f97047 74df6771b06ca6f20f

Oregon Field Guide
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood (Yeah that's right)
History Detectives
Charlie Rose
Frontline

I seldom watch TV these days. But if it's a day off It's Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for me, except for that King Friday puppet crap. Give me Mr. McFeely and the "how do you make that" video, trips to musicians, bakeries, etc. I guess I'm still a 9 year old kid when it comes to Public TV. . .