On registration and pledges

Posted on March 28, 2007 by Gene

I hate having to register for things. Especially websites. You’ll note that I don’t require any kind of registration for commenting here on my blog — I just moderate the comments. But so many blogs now require registration, and I refuse to do it.

Take the posting I made earlier today about the Mac interface: I wanted to make my comments on any of the several blogs that are talking about it today, but they all require registration.

I was reading an essay on the Huffington blog today about PBS pledge drives, but again, it required registration to make a comment. So instead, I’ll make my comment here. Go read that essay, then come back here for my comment.

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Okay? Are you back?

Here’s my take on the PBS pledge programming complaint — that PBS stations roll out completely different programming during pledge time in order to bring in pledges, pre-empting regular fare for Ray Orbison or Wayne Dyer or Suzi Orman. Frankly, it all makes me tune out during pledge time.

Which begs the question of who is watching these pledge drives and sending money? It’s obviously not the usual viewers of the station. This bait-and-switch tactic actually leads me to not become a member of a station. During the times they are begging for money, I am tuned out because there is nothing I want to watch. In fact, they take all my favorite shows off the air during this time, so I am denied the ability to pledge around the shows I want to support — This Old House, American Experience, Nova, Frontline. And once the regular programming returns, the pledge drive is over and there is no incentive or reminder to support the station financially.

I wonder what would happen if a public TV station were to stop showing “special” pledge programming and instead ask for pledges around their normal programming, the same way NPR does. Speaking for myself, it would be refreshing and a reminder of why I watch PBS… and would likely lead me to support the station.