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KCET Lays Off 22

Although I think KCET has done a pretty good job filling their programming roster with entertaining and informative shows I don't think they've ever truly recovered from dropping PBS. KCET really doesn't have a reason for being. What does a noncom TV station that isn't religious or a PBS affiliate look like? Why does L.A. need it? I don't think those questions were ever satisfactorily answered by KCET management (although I'm sure they asked them). And unless those questions are addressed, viewers will have a hard time supporting the station with badly needed donations--let alone watch it.
 
KCET is doomed to fail. Al Jerome is treating the station as his own personal ATM, except the problem is money is only being taken out and very rarely deposited. Let's see here, they broke off PBS affiliation, sold their once iconic studio to the Church of Scientology for a cash grab and have likely burned through all of that seed money to pay the over valued salaries for the men and women at the top leaving nothing for the bottom feeders that produce content and sending them packing.

How many more airings of "Lidsville", "Land of the Lost" and "Mustard Pancakes" does KCET have left? The station is not even an attractive candidate for purchase. ABC is the only network left in LA without a duopoly and I don't see them chomping at the bit to acquire a non-comm unless it can be changed by the graces of the FCC to commercial status (highly unlikely but stranger things are known to happen).

Al Jerome is laughing all the way to the bank, but his days are truly numbered. The KCET kitty is just about tapped dry.
 
ercjncpr said:
Totally disagree, KCET has never been better, it is PBS that has gone down hill
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I have to agree. I live in the Bay Area - our KQED is still affiliatiated with PBS. I rarely watch any more, excepting Downton Abbey and the occasional Frontline. A much larger share of the programming than before seems to be poorly produced nostalgia documentaries (on TV sitcoms, pop music of the 60s, etc), and those self-improvement lectures from Wayne Dyer and that ilk.

Another factor for me is basic and premium cable and the fine dramas they produce. You don't have to go to PBS to find good drama anymore.

I'm still an NPR fan, but I'm pretty much done with PBS.
 
For those of us with long memories, PBS used to be called NET until around 1972. Suddenly the elitism and snootiness came into play.

I remember reading an article in Parade Magazine around that time that suddenly, high level PBS executives were suddenly showing up at HQ in Wash. DC in limousines!

I remember NET being a great network with quality programming. Remember "The Great American Dream Machine" or "San Francisco Mix"?

As for PBS, may I please quote of all people, Howard Stern:

"If it (PBS) was gone, you'd never miss it."
 
I guess I wasn't aware that KCET was no longer a PBS station. Living in Phoenix now, I definitely miss a lot about goings-on in my native LA.

So where is PBS in LA now besides Orange County (Channel 50)?
 
hm insulators said:
I guess I wasn't aware that KCET was no longer a PBS station. Living in Phoenix now, I definitely miss a lot about goings-on in my native LA.

So where is PBS in LA now besides Orange County (Channel 50)?
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In addition to KOCE, there is KLCS (LAUSD-owned station) and KVCR in San Berdue. These three stations are servicing the LA/OC market.
 
I also have a really long memory--and-I think NET
became PBS in 1967? Around that time, especially in 68
in addition to British plays, they were heavy on
documentaries and discussions shows, such as "NET
Journal", Black Journal, and my favorite was PBL
which ran Sunday evenings 830-11PM. I really wish I
could find airchex of PBL. Even as late as 1979 PBS ran
some UN Security Counsil meetings. What seemed strange
was later in the 90s fund drives had lots of music
specials, which was rather different than types of
shows in a normal week. On the local front, while all
of these PBS outlets are on all providers, KVCR signal
surely doesn't cover all of the LA Metro.
1 final note about KOCE. Since they are not offering a
SAP, we are not enjoying DVS
 
I hate to tell you folks, but PBS has jumped the shark! Most of their programming is used to raise money for their failing network. Every couple of weeks, you see these pledge programs such as "Doo Wop," "Change Your Brain," "Yoga," etc. KCET was right in getting rid of PBS!
 
blackgold said:
I hate to tell you folks, but PBS has jumped the shark! Most of their programming is used to raise money for their failing network. Every couple of weeks, you see these pledge programs such as "Doo Wop," "Change Your Brain," "Yoga," etc. KCET was right in getting rid of PBS!
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I don't know if KCET was right to dump PBS or not. It seems like a difficult climb to do commercial free high-quality TV as an independent. Look at all those basic cable channels (Bravo, A&E, TLC,etc.) that came on the air with "high-brow" intentions to run culturally significant, and educational programming. After a few years, they devolved into typical cable channels running silly reality programming and off-network reruns. And they're national - KCET only has Southern California to draw viewers and money from.

But you're right that PBS has devolved, too. There's Downton Abbey, and the other occasional dramatic gem. Frontline and Nova are still excellent. But PBS is not what it used to be.
 
Is it just me or is KCET's newest offering, "Borgen", boring? After all, it's not just about politics but Danish politics. Supposedly the Danes are some of the happiest people on the planet, so where is the drama? A price fixing scandal at the National Herring Board resulting in a shortage of pickled herring? Danish Parliament demanding an apology from the US because some critic here wrote that Danish Modern furniture wasn't all that?

Yes, I know the show won an award and I commend KCET for at least trying to bring in some fresh, offbeat programming (much of it coming from abroad). The BBC offerings have been good. "MI-5" is excellent, "Death in Paradise" and "Old Tricks" are a lot of fun. And I would love to see "DCI Banks" re-run (or better still some fresh episodes). But "Borgen" leaves me as cold as the Danish climate.
 
RicoGregg said:
For those of us with long memories, PBS used to be called NET until around 1972. Suddenly the elitism and snootiness came into play.
Click to expand...

chime said:
I also have a really long memory--and-I think NET
became PBS in 1967?
Click to expand...

Both of your memories are wrong; it was 1970 when NET became PBS.
 
It's all gone downhill ever since Elmo took over Sesame Street in 1986 and the cake baker stopped falling down the stairs for the number 7. :D
 
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