Help PBS achieve even more

Six years ago the voters of Maine expressed their confidence in Maine Public Broadcasting’s future by passing a $9.4 million bond issue for the company’s conversion to a digital television future. But now it seems that public support for Public Broadcasting in Maine is tragically waning. Witness the greatly increased number of fundraising hours; “winter, spring, summer and fall, all you have to do is call.” Indeed, it seems to be all fundraising, all the time.

A little over one and a half years ago, MPBC announced a $385,000 budget shortfall. They further reported that, “The average level of donations is down. The number of television members has steadily decreased over the past few years, and radio membership revenue growth has slowed.” This still must be the case, since the company’s fundraising efforts seem to be at an all time high intensity level.

All this says to me that Mainers are having second, third and fourth thoughts about the importance of MainePBS in their lives. Think one more time please.

On Feb. 28, 1967 President Lyndon Baines Johnson, in a speech to Congress on health and education, said of Public Television, “…we have only begun to grasp the great promise of this medium, of which, in the words of one critic, has the power to ‘arouse our dreams, satisfy our hunger for beauty, take us on journeys, enable us to participate in events, present great drama and music, explore the sea and the sky and the winds and the hills.'”

He went on to say, “Noncommercial television can bring its audience the excitement of excellence in every field. I am convinced that a vital and self-sufficient noncommercial television system will not only instruct, but inspire and uplift our people.”

I cannot agree more. Maine Public Broadcasting is a unique, priceless treasure to the state of Maine.

Their mission is to, “engage the minds and enrich the lives,” of all partakers of their talents.

It has been my experience that they have aptly given well beyond expectations on countless occasions. I believe that MPBC deserves the financial support and confidence of everyone who tunes in to their broadcast signals. Indeed, if you have enjoyed PBS and Maine PBS programming anytime in your life then now is the time to say so and tell them that the $9.4 million conversion bond was truly a vote of confidence in their future and a valuable investment in yours.

On June 14, 2001, PBS President Pat Mitchell at the network’s annual meeting introduced a document summarizing major public TV objectives. In that document she wrote: “Public television can and should offer a unique experience-one that builds trust, creates connections and encourages citizens to take action, become involved, and build the social capital that characterizes healthy communities.”

In Article ten of that same document she declared: “We shall not fear the changes of the times…” Article seven states: “We shall mobilize our core supporters-Americans involved in their communities-and we shall recruit new supporters to join the cause.”

Joining the cause of Maine Public Broadcasting is, perhaps, one of the soundest decisions you could make and is definitely a valuable investment in your family’s future.

Yes, Maine PBS has made its share of blunders in the past and a few of its former leaders have made some questionable decisions, but the people of Maine have, in most cases, stood up and called the company to order.

These were Mainers involved in their communities, citizens who took action, the “social capital that characterizes healthy communities.”

Maine PBS belongs to the citizens of Maine. Its leadership is accountable to all residents of the Pine Tree State. If the people of Maine let MPBC stumble and fall they are only doing damage to their “own” fortune. There is precious little that we can really call our own these days. Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation is ours to do with as we see fit.

Pat Mitchell also said, “There comes a time in the history of public television, when the people we serve demand of us something more.” The people of the state of Maine have invested in Public Broadcasting for 40 years. We’ve got our moneys worth so far! Shall we not now demand and make sure that our investment remains sound for at least another 40? Of all the channels, be they over the airways, on cable or satellite, only Public Broadcasting can truly be called our own.

As for the new “Digital Age.” In her 2000 MIT commencement address Hewlett Packard’s chief executive officer, Carly Fiorina gave the graduates this advice: “… in this technology Renaissance we will witness and experience the fundamental transference of power to the people, to the masses.

To the individuals who bring their own spark, their own energy to the process, technology becomes not about bits and bytes, but about the celebration of people’s minds and people’s hearts.”

It is my wish and hopefully yours that the dream that is public broadcasting not only continues to come true, but that it expands to even greater heights and further reaches and that in the process, we, the people, will be taken on a journey to undreamed of future wonders.

Bill Moores of Old Town is a 30-year local broadcast veteran in public and commercial, technical and production. His email address is: mooracle555@cscom