More Necessary than Ever

This past Sunday, The New York Times printed an opinion piece by Charles McGrath under the headline “Is PBS Still Necessary?” You can read the article and decide for yourself if his arguments hold water, but I hope that you also read some of the comments from the approximately 800 people who posted their reactions. It’s clear that many people do indeed think PBS is necessary.
Recently, Detroit Public TV held an event at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History where 200 educators learned how to use the PBS series African American Lives 2 in the classroom. I wish Mr. McGrath had been there to hear how appreciative those teachers were to have PBS help them help young people connect with their family histories. I wish Mr. McGrath could meet the parents who attend our DPTV Kids Club events, or answer a pledge phone to hear from folks voluntarily parting with their hard-earned cash to support our service. They think PBS is necessary. And it’s probably unlikely that Mr. McGrath will tune in to Channel 56 on February 25 to see the talented young African American and Latino classical string players in the Sphinx Competition Finals Concert, which was produced in high-definition by Detroit Public TV, and which might appear on PBS.
Can we do a better job? Shouldn’t we earn our way in a competitive media market? Sure. At Detroit Public TV, only about 6% of our annual budget comes from federal funding. We have to raise the other 94% each year. But we’re able to do it, because more than 60,000 individuals, together with business and foundations, believe that it is necessary to have a strong local public television to enrich our community.
The national/local partnership that is at the heart of our public broadcasting system may not be necessary, but, in my view, it is pretty remarkable.

Dave Devereaux
VP, Communications & Brand Management