James R. Pagliarini: PBS stale? Look again

Public television has a large audience, and those people are well-served, in both traditional and new-media formats.

By JAMES R. PAGLIARINI

Last update: February 26, 2008 - 6:18 PM

A commentary in the Source section by Charles McGrath ("PBS seems musty, fusty compared with hip cousin NPR," Feb. 18) presented a skewed and inaccurate picture of what PBS offers to Minnesota and the country.

Public TV is far from underwatched; each month more than two-thirds of Minnesotans tune in to Twin Cities Public Television (TPT). The people who watch us each month would fill the Metrodome 24 times, the Xcel Energy Center 80 times and Orchestra Hall 612 times.

McGrath accuses PBS of being "musty" because many of our core programs have been on the air for decades. Personally, I see this as a sign of strength. Rather than follow disposable pop-culture fashion, PBS builds things that last. Yes, "Nova" has been on for 34 years -- but it is constantly reporting on the latest developments from the frontiers of science; it is not locked in a 1970s time warp, as McGrath implies. And suggesting that "Masterpiece Theater" has "settled" for an all-Jane Austen format is simply incorrect -- "The Complete Jane Austen" drew the highest audiences for the program in more than a decade. The show's title says "Masterpiece" and not "Current Best Seller" for a reason.

The commentator states that cable and satellite services have rendered public television obsolete, completely dismissing those who don't subscribe to such services. In the Twin Cities area, that includes nearly 30 percent of homes. TPT is the only source for quality children's and cultural programming for these households and remains the preferred source for many "wired" households.

McGrath further accuses PBS of lagging in new media, apparently unaware that many PBS programs are available for streaming and downloading -- yes, you can even download PBS shows to watch on your iPod. He also seems oblivious to the new services being offered as a result of digital television, such as the seven channels currently offered by TPT. Very easy to find, for anyone who cares to know the facts.

McGrath attempts to compare public television unfavorably to public radio, using half-truths, twisted logic and bad data. In fact, comparing television and radio audiences is like comparing apples to oranges. Most public radio is focused on narrow formats -- news and classical music -- while public television is focused on serving a broad and more comprehensive set of interests. As a result, the audience for public television is vastly larger than that for public radio, both locally and nationally. This does not make public television better or more successful than public radio -- we simply serve different purposes.

McGrath misses the point. Yes, there are hundreds of channels now, but he fails to point out the difference between commercial and public interests. Public television is not here to sell things; we are here to prepare children for school, to promote civic engagement, to provide opportunities for lifelong learning and to preserve Minnesota's (and America's) history and culture through video archiving.

We are not "musty," and we do not settle. We lead, we innovate and we inspire.

James R. Pagliarini is president and CEO of TPT and a member of the PBS Board of Trustees.

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