With state looking for budget cuts, maybe it should sell the struggling MPT. That's what New Jersey is doing
With the state of Maryland looking hard for budget cuts, and Maryland Public Television looking for new leadership as it loses audience, membership and funding, the time seems right to seriously consider whether Annapolis should be in the television business.It might seem like an unconventional idea. But if Maryland can't do better than it has in recent years, it should sell the license or lease operational control of MPT to a local nonprofit group. That is not as bold and unprecedented a move as it might seem; New Jersey is trying to do just that with NJN, its public broadcasting operation.
Closer to home, in 2002, the Johns Hopkins University sold the license of WJHU (88.1 FM) to a nonprofit local group headed by Anthony Brandon. WYPR, as the station is now named, is thriving as the primary provider of National Public Radio programming in Baltimore — and just last week concluded its most successful fundraising drive in history. The model is in place, and it appears to be successful.
From a viewer's point of view, think about the problems some are having with MPT reception since the switch to digital, or the lack of a daily on-the-street news presence by the broadcaster. Or consider the conflict of interest in a state-run TV channel trying to cover state government — and all of those prime-time fundraisers with famous-long-ago doo-wop groups. It costs money to make and buy top programs, and that's getting harder and harder to come by, especially for state-run, cash-strapped public TV stations.
Sale or lease of the station would give the state (and its taxpayers) a break of about $8.5 million a year in budget relief — the amount of money Annapolis is providing this fiscal year to keep MPT running. Plus, with a sale, Maryland's coffers would enjoy a major infusion of cash — at a time when headlines are telling us day in and day out how much such revenue is needed.
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3 comments:
As the old saying goes "more sometimes doesn't equal better", I really think that has been some of the problems with MPT.
It seems that almost every week there is a fundraising pledge break on the station. I really think that this has turned many people off. Turned them off not only in wanting to give money, but also to stop viewing.
My opinion that more viewers will watch if they aren't always being hit with a message that they should give, and maybe if these Pledge times were less often people will be more willing togive.
Also it seems as if it's also the same old show, not only during their pledge times, but just in normal viewing.
Give the people what they want and the people will appreciate the station more.
It's time to pull the plug on ALL government funding of both radio and television.
This was done to provide coverage when there weren't many stations.
Now there are literally hundreds of TV channels and dozens of radio channels in every market, via terrestrial or satellite feeds.
Public stations are government-subsidized competitors-- there's no way that is right.
Besides, we're broke. We must stop spending tax money on things like this.
It's time to end it.
MPT is a most watched station in my house. They should start allowing commercials and advertisements like other stations have to.
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