No self respect?

[sburke]

Did I really see an ad for a new dumb ass reality TV show that Wesley Clark is participating in? And Todd Palin is gonna go play fake army man? WTF?

No wonder I never watch tv anymore.

[dieseltaylor]

Gosh you man NBC will not be showing the ParaOlympics with all those who have lossed limbs in war and accidents!!? I think the real rub was showing the adverts during the Olympics which is reall crass.

The Paralympics have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sport events by the early 21st century.

[gunnergoz]

Network TV is uniformly disappointing drek these days. Even cable has gone to the dogs, what with the "Hysteria Channel" focusing on the Mayan Apocalypse, Ice Road Truckers and Ancient UFO's. The "reality" shows are the most unreal of the bunch. I am close to canceling my cable service but it is bundled with my internet and phone so it is not a simple thing to do.

[ZPB II]

Reality shows killed television but it was already sick.

Now it's scripted rubbish played by people who are not actors so you don't need to pay them. Whoever came up with the idea is an evil but brilliant man, no wonder all the networks keep pumping out new shows.

I remember many years ago Discovery channel used to run somewhat watchable documentaries, now it's nothing but "reality" crap about choppers and tattoos.

But it's the same on every network even in Finland. Every new show is somesort of gimmicky "reality" show. Apparently someone watches that ****.

I weep for mankind.

[Michael Emrys]

Reality shows killed television but it was already sick.

Fifty years ago the chairman of the FCC described television as "a vast wasteland". But compared to a lot of what came after, the broadcasting then was a cultural valhalla. Who would dare to even suggest such a show as Omnibus for instance? The mere thought of it would probably get a network executive fired, or at least shunted off into some dark corner.

I will grant that the average acting ability in fictional shows has improved by an order of magnitude in the last 20 years, and in a few shows the writing and production are not too bad, but I'm being very selective here. Most of the shows are, as described, dreck. And I refuse even to discuss such garbage as Dancing With the Stars.

I weep for mankind.

And well you should. Seems to me we are rock solid on a course for species extinction on the basis of issues far more profound and massive than the quality of our entertainment. I would like to think I am unduly pessimistic, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

Michael

[dieseltaylor]

At least you have PBS for the more intelligent ....the few ?

e.g.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2262743331

Rather like rape the body will shut down to prevent your mind being inseminated by crap adverts and ignorance.

[dieseltaylor]

Ok I am doing some of the citizens an injustice

oday's PBS - America's Largest Classroom, the Nation's Largest Stage

and a Trusted Window to the World

Every day, PBS and more than 350 member stations fulfill our essential mission to the American public, providing trusted programming that is uniquely different from commercial broadcasting, treating its audience as citizens, not simply consumers. In fact, PBS has been rated as the most trustworthy institution among nationally known organizations for nine consecutive years.

PBS invites everyone to explore new ideas and broaden personal horizons -- with content that expands the minds of children, programs that ensure the worlds of music, theater, dance and art remain available to all Americans, documentaries that open up new worlds, and non-commercialized news programs that provide citizens with multiple perspectives on world events and cultures.

PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation, founded in 1969, whose members are America’s public TV stations -- noncommercial, educational licensees that operate 354 PBS member stations and serve all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Of the 161 licensees, 84 are community organizations, 52 are colleges/universities, 20 are state authorities and five are local educational or municipal authorities.

Strong On-Air Reach Across America

• Over the course of a year, 91% of all U.S. television households - and 236 million people - watch PBS. The demographic breakdown of PBS' full-day audience reflects the overall U.S. population with respect to race/ethnicity, education and income. (Nielsen NPower, 9/20/2010-9/18/2011)
  
• In a typical month, nearly 123 million people watch their local PBS stations. (Nielsen NPower, 10/2011)
  
• In a year, 79% of all kids age two to 11, totaling 32.7 million, watch PBS. (Nielsen NPower, 9/20/2010-9/18/2011)
  
• The PBS KIDS block was up 18% for kids age two to five for the '10-11 season compared to the '09-10 season, and the PBS KIDS GO! block was up, as well - 14% for kids age four to eight for '10-11 compared to the previous season. (Nielsen NPower, 9/20/20010-9/18/2011 vs. 9/21/2009-9/19/2010)
  
  
• PBS had four of the top 10 programs among mothers of young children in June 2012, including CURIOUS GEORGE, SESAME STREET, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, and SUPER WHY!. PBS also had four of the top 10 programs for kids age two to five -- CURIOUS GEORGE, CAT IN THE HAT, SUPER WHY! and DINOSAUR TRAIN. (Nielsen NPower, 6/2012)
  
• PBS' primetime audience is significantly larger than many commercial channels, including Bravo (PBS' audience is 104% larger), TLC (75%), Discovery Channel (70%), HGTV (58%), HBO (54%), A&E (36%) and History Channel (6%). In addition, PBS' primetime rating for news and public affairs programming is 60% higher than that of CNN. (Nielsen NPower, 9/20/2010-9/18/2011)
  
• PBS averaged a 1.33 primetime rating during the 2010-2011 season, an increase of 4% over the previous season.
  

Source: Nielsen NPower, 9/20/2010-9/18/2011 vs. 9/21/2009-9/19/2010.

Innovation and Growth on Digital Platforms

• Americans watched nearly 137 million videos across all of PBS' web and mobile platforms in June 2012; more than half (56%) of these streams were delivered on a mobile platform. (Google Analytics, 6/2012)
  
• Combined, PBS had 22.6 million unique visitors to its sites in June. (Google Analytics, 6/2012)
  
• The majority of PBS.org's online video viewers are between the ages of 18 to 49, who spend an average of 17 minutes per video, far above the industry average of six minutes. (Google Analytics, 5/2012)
  
• In any given month in 2011, more than 30% of all video minutes consumed on kids' sites were on PBSKIDS.org. (comScore Video Metrix, 2011)
  
• In June, PBSKIDS.org was the No. 1 kids site for total videos viewed for the fifth consecutive month. In addition, 235 million minutes, or 30% of all kids video minutes, were spent on the site (comScore Video Metrix, 6/2012)
  
  
• In total, PBS' general audience and kids apps for iPad and iPhone have been downloaded more than 2.3 million times. (iTunes)
  
• More than 74 million videos were streamed on the PBS KIDS Video for iPhone/iPad apps in June, accounting for 56% of KIDS total streams. (Google Analytics, 6/2012)
  

Helping to Close the Achievement Gap

• Research has shown that PBS content helps children learn.
  • A University of Pennsylvania study confirmed that children increased literacy skills by 46% after watching as few as two episodes of SUPER WHY. These children were then able to transfer the knowledge they gained into other contexts when tested.
    
    
  • Children who watched SESAME STREET in preschool spend more time reading for fun in high school, and they obtain higher grades in English, math and science. PBS children's programming teaches important educational and life skills, cultivating and challenging the critical thinkers and innovators of tomorrow.
    

  [*]PBS LearningMedia (http://www.pbslearningmedia.org) is a free, online media-on-demand service developed for educators featuring photos, video, audio files and more with lesson plans, background essays, and discussion questions. The service features a robust content library with close to 20,000 assets designed and aligned to core standards for classroom and student achievement across math, science, reading/language arts, social studies, health/physical education, as well as world languages.

Highly Valued by the American Public

PBS annually commissions research to measure its performance and value as judged by its most important stakeholder — the American public. With local independent stations rooted in communities across the country, public media is unrivalled in its commitment to optimize the power and potential of media to strengthen our democracy, build stronger communities and improve lives.

Recent national studies confirm that PBS is (visit this link for source and full details):

• #1 in public trust
  
• An "excellent" use of tax dollars
  
• The most fair network
  
• The #1 educational TV/media brand, for PBS KIDS
  
• The safest on-air and online destination, for PBS KIDS

Four Decades of Innovation from PBS

2011 PBS LearningMedia launches as a next generation digital education service, delivering unprecedented access to a robust, world-class library and available free to all preK-16 classrooms.

2010 PBS initiatives support the growth of public media on digital platforms – from auto-localization of pbs.org to APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that facilitate digital distribution of content.

2009 PBS video players launch on pbs.org, offering hundreds of full-length programs free of charge for general audiences, preschoolers and older children.

2008 PBS is the first television broadcast system to implement file-based digital content distribution, improving efficiency and quality.

2002 PBS.org becomes the most trafficked dot-org website in the world.

1998 PBS becomes the first national broadcaster to distribute HD programming to member stations for broadcast.

1996 PBS inaugurates the first all-digital TV broadcast facility in the U.S.

1995 PBS becomes one of the first major broadcasters to launch a website.

1990 PBS launches Descriptive Video Service for blind and visually impaired viewers.

1975 Public television station WTTW in Chicago, in the PBS series Soundstage, becomes one of the first stations to use stereo television.

1975 PBS launches the first satellite interconnection system.

1972 PBS pioneers closed captioning for hearing-impaired viewers.

July 2012

[Michael Emrys]

PBS (and NPR its radio brother-in-arms) tend to give themselves a bit more credit than they deserve. Yes, they both used to offer very good (in the case of NPR really first class) programming. However, over the last 30 years they have tended to gradually cave in to pressures from those in and out of government who feel that the public cannot be trusted with top quality programming. A lot has simply been dumbed down. They are no longer even approximately ad-free. Along with the general dumbing down, there has also been a reorientation toward the right side of the political spectrum to the extent of becoming merely a propaganda outlet for them. Meanwhile, the pundits of the right continue to beat the drum of "liberal bias in the media". It's been a very long time indeed since there was any such bias in the larger media outlets, unless you assume that even simple humanity is the exclusive province of the left, a position I would have found extraordinary to claim even back in the heyday of liberalism.

Michael

[Tero]

And well you should. Seems to me we are rock solid on a course for species extinction on the basis of issues far more profound and massive than the quality of our entertainment. I would like to think I am unduly pessimistic, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

Michael

This implosion is IMO due to the fact studies have shown women spend more money than men on commodities advertised on TV (day time shopping channel anyone ?). Where the add money goes the TV execs will follow. Hence the profusion of reality shows supposedly directed at both sexes but in reality designed to attract the real person making the decisions about the family expenditure. When was the last time there was a decent long time running sci-fi or war series made ? Now we get CSI/medical/doctor shows a dime a dozen.

[Vanir Ausf B]

Along with the general dumbing down, there has also been a reorientation toward the right side of the political spectrum to the extent of becoming merely a propaganda outlet for them. Meanwhile, the pundits of the right continue to beat the drum of "liberal bias in the media".

It's still a little to the left. Not as much as conservatives claim, but for example Forum is unabashedly left-leaning (it's produced in San Francisco so it almost has to be) and there is no conservative equivalent.