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Channel 13 Troubles

S

stationless listener

They've been having financial troubles over the course of year. The new studio at Lincoln Center was supposed to open this year but it has been pushed back, indefinitely (read: http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/pdf/company/PR_WNET-LC-Studio.pdf http://www.thirteen.org/archive/local/lincoln-center-studios/1856/ ).

Now the Justice Department is looking into the funding of WNET.org. Crain's has an article on that:
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090913/SMALLBIZ/309139994

In a way, I would have thought that being in a major metropolis like New York that Channel 13 wouldn't have problems raising money for a new studio. However, the timing was indeed bad. Whether it's a good idea or not it does represent a radical departure from how Channel 13 was usually run. It'll never have the budget of major private TV stations. So I can see why donors would not like it. What do you think?
 
In the 70s, 13 had problems from donors when they spent hundreds of thousands on "The Adams Chronicles", an attempt to out-do the BBC. Original furniture from the period was bought. Management justified the expense by saying the furniture was later used in their offices.

In the 80s, 13 had more employees and fewer hours of local programming than 5, 9, and 11.

In their effort to expand, 13 tried to by NJN. Their bid was rejected, but they did buy 21.
It's was rumored when QXR became available, 13 held back on an offer because they knew the DOJ problem on its way.
 
It's really mind numbing if you sit and think about all of the cash that WNET and WNYC burn.
I stopped supporting them many years ago once I learned about the lavishness of their operations.
 
WNYC... Which of course is now PAX-TV (and prior to that, the ill-fated S+). I wonder if they'll go back into the WNYC-TV files, even if it is a dozen years removed from the license change.
 
DToTheJ said:
WNYC... Which of course is now PAX-TV (and prior to that, the ill-fated S+). I wonder if they'll go back into the WNYC-TV files, even if it is a dozen years removed from the license change.
Click to expand...

Guess you haven't watched lately. It hasn't been PAX in a number of years now.

As far as 13 goes, it may be time to rethink public broadcasting altogether.
 
Back to Ch#13, I notice that they do not ID "WNET Newark". I see them ID-ing with New York at the TOH and all over the hour. Have they been doing this for awhile?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
BiggieFats said:
DToTheJ said:
WNYC... Which of course is now PAX-TV (and prior to that, the ill-fated S+). I wonder if they'll go back into the WNYC-TV files, even if it is a dozen years removed from the license change.
Click to expand...

Guess you haven't watched lately. It hasn't been PAX in a number of years now.

As far as 13 goes, it may be time to rethink public broadcasting altogether.
Click to expand...

I think they're referring to WNYC Radio, not television.
 
badjef said:
Back to Ch#13, I notice that they do not ID "WNET Newark". I see them ID-ing with New York at the TOH and all over the hour. Have they been doing this for awhile?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Click to expand...

They do visually ID with WNET Newark at the TOH. It shows for a second or two, then the "Newark" fades and is replaced by "New York".
They do the same thing with WLIW where "Garden City" is shown briefly, then replaced with "New York".

Actually, Channels 13/21 are pretty good about that.
 
luperm said:
badjef said:
Back to Ch#13, I notice that they do not ID "WNET Newark". I see them ID-ing with New York at the TOH and all over the hour. Have they been doing this for awhile?
Click to expand...

They do visually ID with WNET Newark at the TOH. It shows for a second or two, then the "Newark" fades and is replaced by "New York".
They do the same thing with WLIW where "Garden City" is shown briefly, then replaced with "New York".

Actually, Channels 13/21 are pretty good about that.
Click to expand...
"Briefly", it seems to me the only thing faster than that would be watching a traffic light change and hearing the first horn blow...

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
I suspect the problem is evident mostly at all of the major market public broadcasters in the country. There has been quite a bit of investigations in the past here in the Philadelphia area with regards to the operations and funding flowing through WHYY. And even though their COL is technically Wilmington, DE, the service to that market is markedly next to nil--I don't think the current model of news reporting via their website and a half-hour weekly magazine format aired on Friday nights actually fits the definition of properly serving the residents of the "First State". :-/
 
stationless listener said:
In a way, I would have thought that being in a major metropolis like New York that Channel 13 wouldn't have problems raising money for a new studio.
Click to expand...

You also have to remember NYC has a lot of other places for people to give money to. They have world class operas, the ballet, lots of museums, and so forth. So while the money in NYC is a lot, there are a lot more charities and non-profits to give that money to.
 
Jefferson Lee Eng said:
...WHYY... even though their COL is technically Wilmington, DE, the service to that market is markedly next to nil--I don't think the current model of news reporting via their website and a half-hour weekly magazine format aired on Friday nights actually fits the definition of properly serving the residents of the "First State". :-/
Click to expand...

For the record, budget cuts forced them to cancel their long-running nightly "Delaware Tonight" broadcast...
 
Now I think all publicasters are in the same boat with a small donation turnouts this year,due to the recession. I was just looking at 13's Job opps
on their site and it looks like they still have job openings available.No freeze on hiring? Out of 415 positions,they could not use ave of these people to fill these openings posted on their website.
 
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