Letter writing campiagn to PBS (Brief History of Disbelief)

[Malachi151]

As some of you may know (there is a thread about this) PBS has planned to show "A Brief History of Disbelief", but many local stations are refusing to air it.

Please write to PBS and your local station to support the showing of this program.

Many Christians are voicing opposition, so we need to show support.

http://www.pbs.org/

http://www.pbs.org/aboutsite/aboutsite_feedback.html

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2007/05/a_brief_history_of_disbelief.html

Check local listing:

http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder/index.html

http://www.abriefhistoryofdisbelief.org/NewFiles/Disbelief%20Calendar.pdf

[joseph]

As some of you may know (there is a thread about this) PBS has planned to show "A Brief History of Disbelief", but many local stations are refusing to air it.

Many Christians are voicing opposition, so we need to show support.

Specifically which local stations are refusing to air it ?

I can see how Xtians wouldn't recommend it but are they actually tageting a specific tv station ?

[Savagemutt]

It looks like my local station, WUNC, isn't airing it. At least, I couldn't find it listed on the calendar. I'll pop off an email to them this evening.

[Perm]

Any way to get more information about who is actually opposing it? By looking at the calendar, it looks like this documentary/series is only playing in a few places over the course of 6 weeks or so.

Shockingly enough, it's not playing in Indiana. </sarcasm>

However, I'm curious if that's because of any particular opposition, or just because the local station here is picking programs for their audience?

[Malachi151]

There are people opposing it. Whether that is the reason that more stations haven't picked it up I don't know.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/04/god_forbid.html?tr=y&auid=2646803

http://www.blueoregon.com/2007/05/did_opb_bury_a_.html

Our local atheist group is doing a letter writing campaign to ask our local station to show it, regardless of why they currently aren't.

[LetUsRatiocinate]

I wrote the Dallas Metro area PBS station. They are not showing it now, but are "considering" showing it in August.

Other Dallas/Ft. Worth area residents might help influence them by contacting them.

My responder was Patsy Brown, Manager of Audience and Member Services. < PBrown@KERA.org >. Go for it.

[Perm]

Those articles are just descriptions of people or groups who oppose PBS airing the series. So, just to be clear to anyone reading this, there doesn't appear to be any kind of "formal" opposition to this show, as far as I can tell.

Now, as far as why PBS stations aren't airing it, it would be nice to discover why. Does the show just suck? Are xtians controlling PBS' schedule?

In any case, it won't hurt to write your local PBS station, I just thought the OP implied that xtians had deliberately tried to get the show halted, but it may have just been poor interpretation on my part.

[Stacey Melissa]

I wrote a brief email in support of it to my station, which has already aired part of the series.

[GoodLittleAtheist]

Now, as far as why PBS stations aren't airing it, it would be nice to discover why. Does the show just suck?No, it doesn't suck. It was great. It is at veoh.com for anyone who is interested. Just search for disbelief. That will also give you links to The Atheism Tapes (interviews done for specifically for the series-but the whole interview instead of just the bits that made the initial cut).

[musicalchairs]

I emailed the local station in Raleigh NC and they say no plans to air this programme, sadly:

Thank you for your message to UNC-TV. In response to your request, we
are
aware of the program entitled A Brief History of Disbelief. There are
no
immediate plans to broadcast the program. You may check our website at
www.unctv.org for this programming information beginning July 2007. We
will also pass your comments along to our Programming Department.

If you should have any further questions comments or concerns, please
feel
free to contact the Customer Care Department at 1-888-292-7070.

Sincerely,

Princess Chase
Customer Care Representative
UNC-TV
1-888-292-7070

[Mathew Goldstein]

I emailed the local station in Raleigh NC and they say no plans to air this programme, sadly:

You can follow up with requests for an explanation. You can keep calling them until you get one. After all, it is YOUR local television station, you are entitled to more of an explanation then "no immediate plans to broadcast the program" which isn't telling you much more than you already knew.

[Savagemutt]

I emailed the local station in Raleigh NC and they say no plans to air this programme, sadly:

I emailed the local station in Raleigh NC and they say no plans to air this programme, sadly:

Quote:
Thank you for your message to UNC-TV. In response to your request, we
are
aware of the program entitled A Brief History of Disbelief. There are
no
immediate plans to broadcast the program. You may check our website at
www.unctv.org for this programming information beginning July 2007. We
will also pass your comments along to our Programming Department.

If you should have any further questions comments or concerns, please
feel
free to contact the Customer Care Department at 1-888-292-7070.

Sincerely,

Princess Chase
Customer Care Representative
UNC-TV
1-888-292-7070




Heh. That is precisely the same email they just sent to me. I wonder if they've gotten enough inquiries about it that they're using a form letter.

[musicalchairs]

You can follow up with requests for an explanation. You can keep calling them until you get one. After all, it is YOUR local television station, you are entitled to more of an explanation then "no immediate plans to broadcast the program" which isn't telling you much more than you already knew.

I agree. I emailed them again asking for an explanation:
Dear Ms.:

Our summer programming schedule is complete. This program will more
than
likely be broadcast in early Fall. Please check our website for
further
information with regard to this program.

Should you have any further questions comments or concerns, please feel
free to contact the Customer Care Department at 1-888-292-7070.

Sincerely,

Princess Chase
Customer Care Representative

[Mathew Goldstein]

I agree. I emailed them again asking for an explanation:

When I called my local TV station I was told that other people had also asked them about this program and that they may broadcast it later this summer. So I will try to remember to check the TV schedule again and maybe someone here will resurrect this thread in a month or two.

[Stacey Melissa]

I wrote a brief email in support of it to my station, which has already aired part of the series.
And I got a "your welcome" reply back, in which the program manager called it a "fine television series" and said, "I believe that we need more points of view about the world and I am dedicated to providing those whenever possible."

So thumbs up for KPTS in Wichita. :thumbs: