Pledge-Drive Programs

Re “KCET Lays Off 15 After Fund-Raising Comes Up Short” (by Dana Calvo, March 3):

It is not at all surprising to these faithful KCET supporters that the station’s fund-raising efforts are coming up short. Program selection during the pledge period now runs so contrary to the taste of KCET’s core viewership that we have no choice but to desert the station for the entire fund-raising period, replaying our tapes of “Masterpiece Theatre” and “Live From Lincoln Center” until the infernal barrage of noisy pop-rock and incessant pleas for donations runs its course.

It was not always so, since in the past at least some fund-raiser specials consisted of old favorites worth revisiting, but this appears to have ended after the station overdosed on “Three Tenors” reruns. The present selection during pledge periods ignores PBS’ core supporters in a futile attempt to broaden KCET’s audience. The station is not likely anyway to retain this “new viewership” once it returns to normal programming after the pledge period, unless it makes the change permanent and loses us altogether.

WALTER B. RIOS

DAGMAR M. RIOS

Newport Beach

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There should be no mystery about the funding shortfall and resulting layoffs at KCET. For more than 25 years, we happily and proudly supported KCET, annually contributing to support its outstanding programming.

However, when we moved to a house served by satellite dish, we discovered that two channels on DirectTV carry identical public television programming, neither of which is KCET. Instead, both carry what appears to be a national feed, with prime time given over to the “NewsHour” and “Charlie Rose.” No longer do we see “Nova,” “Frontline” or our other favorites at the convenient times programmed by KCET.

Because we no longer see KCET and do not receive the benefit of its time schedule, we no longer contribute to the channel. As satellite dish reception becomes more common, KCET will undoubtedly continue to lose support unless it does what other local channels have accomplished; namely, have its local programming carried on satellite.

FRED and MARILEE KARLSEN

Marina del Rey

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I was one of those KCET members who didn’t give this time around, because of the station’s increasing commercialism. They are now running lengthy “sponsorship announcements,” which are the same advertisements shown on commercial networks.

If they want more of my money, they’d better remember their mandate to provide an alternative to commercial television.

MARK LEVITON

Granada Hills