TV Woodworking Shows--What hapened?

[Larry]

For one thing, believe it ot not, not everyone has cable or satellite. Of those 1000 channels, how many have locally oriented programming that really means anything to your community? In my city, the local commercial channels have news shows a couple times a day where they pretty much repeat headlines from the local paper. They do a credible job with the weather but as far as any depth of reporting on local news & events, forget it. OTOH, the public TV station & NPR radio station have real and detailed local content for a signifcant part of their programming day and the national programming they carry is often of a type that is simply no longer played on commercial stations. They do have some ads but in length, quality, and content, they are nothing like the obnoxious advertising on the commercial channels.

If you examine the FCC policies and regulations it is apparent ALL broadcasters & spectrum users are subsidized, perhaps some less directly than others, but on the whole the system is very much geared towards providing benefits to business rather than the consumers. I don't believe that the small amount of federal funding public radio and TV receives is misspent. Public broadcasting provides a valuable service, at least in my area. If these stations had the plug pulled, it is highly unlikely that commercial broadcasters would step up to replace that.

[Mark & Juanita]

Well, just from your comment alone, cutting CPB budget would more than pay for that $250M Alaskan Bridge to nowhere.

there were only 3 major networks. Most US citizens now have access to

100's of channels (and still there's nothing on worth watching at times). It's way past time to review this relic of the 50s and determine whether or not we might be able to save 1/3 of a Billion dollars per year by recommending that this become a for-profit venture with advertising, or remain non-profit, but change its programming model to include commercial sponsorship. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Leuf]

The future repeats itself continously, pausing sporadically to buffer?

Don't get me wrong there's some neat stuff sprinkled in there.

Then there's the "Look, it's a Festool sander. It's better than yours. Too bad you'll never be able to afford it" and the "Let's see how many ways we can use a pocket hole jig. Some of them even make sense!"

-Leuf

[Ol Pete]

How much money for "public" stations comes from the government? Not a whole lot anymore. How much free money do other stations receive? Great gobs of it depending how you calculate the subsidies, handouts and propaganda payoffs.

Your analysis reminds me of the sort of spin conservative talk radio progpagates. It isn't reality based but it sure is emotionally satisfying.

[CW]

Now, here's the downside. Once you have watched everything on the woodworking channel, wait a year before going back to the site. They occasionally have something different but the majority of it has been running for about a year, over and over.

[Joe Bleau]

I agree. I recognized the commercial promotion. The guy spent hours making pocket holes to build a mantle. I would have done it with my nail gun and construction adhesive and it would have looked just as good---better because I would have used raised panels and panel molding instead of the stamped molding he used. He could have put construction adhesive on the rails and stiles and nailed them directly to the wall. Nail holes are easy to fill if you are going to paint. And, since it was all paint grade I would have used MDF for the rails, stiles and panels. It just occurred to me that you might not know what I am referring to. When I was watching a guy was building a mantle dressed out with 9 ft. pilasters and flat panels.

But, it takes money to keep a site like that running and it has to come for somewhere. I just hope the site operators don't load it up with advertising to such a degree that it's no longer worth watching.

Joe

[mjmwallace]

I understand that, but were you making the point that federal tax dollars in some indirect way (thru tax deductions) were flowing to PBS stations? If so, I disagree. Listing as a tax deductable non-profit org. is a listing on the federal tax register. No money goes to my favorite charity or non-profit unless I MAKE it so. The government is neutral. It doesn''t care less if I give to a religious or save-the-whales org. There's no direct support other than how YOU decide.

The bottom line, the PBS station in your area needs your money more than it needs the feds money. Most stations, I believe have bigger payrolls, rents, insurance then what the fed provides.

MJ Wallace

[Leuf]

That's the one I was referring to. There was another where the guy basically just sanded a panel with a Festool sander for a minute, then they paused to tell us that ad for Festool was brought to you by Festool. The guy did have some skills going after the bevel edges of the panel with the ROS. Or possibly he destroyed the thing. Too small and blurry to tell.

I realize they have to have ads, and it's better to have them be related to the subject. People are smart enough to figure out what's an ad.

I really enjoyed the turning "scoop" or whatever he called it.

-Leuf

[George]

Closer to reality than people who speak of "avoiding taxes" and "not paying a fair share" and "corporate welfare" as if money were never earned, only granted by government denying that moneys diverted from the revenue stream are as much a subsidy as money allocated.

[B A R R Y]

Any business owner will tell you it's cheaper to pay the tax than to give money away simply for the purposes of "writing it off".

[J. Clarke]

So you're saying that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting gets no money from the government? When did that stop?

[Swingman]

Judging from the Taj Mahal built for upper management's offices here, what they really *need* is to lose the arrogance that comes with suckling on the public tit.

[JMS]

Enjoy the tank and a half of gas it will buy, you tool. Percentage effect and the law of large numbers.

[JMS]

Mark & Juanita wrote: > Well, just from your comment alone, cutting CPB budget would more than

And that is a good thing? Just trying to understand if you are tough, dumb or both.

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[Frank Boettcher]

The "underwriters" of the show provide money for the production of the show. they are allowed recognition that is regulated with regard to both length and content. It is appropriate that the show use the equipment that the underwriter has supplied, without any additional promotion other than its normal use. The opportunity for exaggeration or downright lying is nonexistent. It is a legitimate business expense.

OTOH Those underwriters could choose to forego the PBS productions and take out additional ads in FWW or other Mags. Or they could sponsor a race car, with opportunities to wine and dine their larger distributors These are also legitimate business expenses and all manner of exaggeration and other activities that do not further the end users knowledge are prevalent.

I believe I would encourage the former.

How many of you make your tool buying decisions based on what you see on a NASCAR hood?

Frank

[George]

The point was that it was money denied the government, and thus equivalent to government subsidy.

Depends on your tax situation whether you report it as advertising expense, which it can be here, or as donation.

Sidebar further off topic. On NPR this morning the commentator mentioned that Litvinenko had been poisoned with, and enunciated for emphasis "plutonium" rather than polonium. Big difference in availability which was hopefully not by intent or implication.

[B A R R Y]

How's that, George?

We're talking about a business expense in either case.

I eagerly await your explanation.

[George]

Not for tax here. BTDT, hope the accountants were right, or the statute of limitations has expired.

[Robatoy]

I find the biggest problem with 'write-offs' is that you have to make a taxable profit first before you get to write anything off. A deduction at low-level income doesn't have the same effect as a deduction which moves you into a lower bracket. I just hear this shit, because I operate as a non-profit. Not supposed to be a non-profit...but, good thing the Sprinter Dodge vans use Mercedes parts...if you know what I mean.

[Robatoy]