MPT slashing staff, salaries, marketing as it faces shortfall

Baltimore Sun | 8-24-02 | David Folkenflik

[Temple Owl]

Officials at Maryland Public Television are embarking on sweeping layoffs, across-the-board salary cuts, demotions of many executives and an elimination of all marketing efforts as they combat deep drops in revenue.

"We've had to [cut] personnel as a last resort," Robert J. Shuman, president and chief executive officer of MPT, said yesterday. "It's been difficult across the board."

MPT officials acknowledge that the budget problems have been compounded by their failure to draw any significant corporate sponsors for the station's signature program, Wall Street Week, after the ouster in spring of longtime anchor Louis Rukeyser.

[Temple Owl]

Ah, poor public television. They should do more begging. Their liberal audience would be happy to support their cause.

[alex]

These guys have 17 VPs to run $37M/year organization, wow, your tax dollars at work.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Wall Street Week brought in major underwriters.
MPT really stepped on it when they crossed Rukeyser.

[Orangedog]

The way that CNBC picked him up shows that the good shows that people watch will do just fine in the real world. Big Bird and Elmo will find a new home even faster than Rukeyser. Tripe like Washington Week In Review will wither on the vine.

[Orangedog]

Don't count on the pig to ever be de-funded. The pubs cave like a house of cards if someone calls them a bad name.

[Tacis]

Didn't read the article but, I don't see how they can be in trouble. One of the smartest things these ultra-left wing extremist, America hating liberals ever did was to run Rukyser TWICE on Friday night. I used to try to watch EVERY friday at 7 or 7:30. If I was working, I missed. I notice that in recent months they've been broacasting at 7:30 PM and again at 10:30 PM. So if I miss the first show, I can pick it up later. I know that such an accomodation for evil capitalists would have been a major concession for these lefties. But, there are now two shows so I don't see how the folks in Owings Mills can be in trouble. Although, I do now recall that there have been many fewer commercials on Rukyser in recent weeks and I don't recall any of those fund raising commercials that the lefties don't consider commercials because they are weaseling money for themselves.

[PeterPrinciple]

The system is working.........you don't get good management until the money gets tight.

I am excited about the tight money situation in state government................now what can we do about the federal govt?????

[DeFault User]

These guys have 17 VPs to run $37M/year organization, wow, your tax dollars at work.

Ever watch the credits on a PBS drama or special? They run almost as long as the show or a major Hollywood production. Even the credits for simple shows, which shouldn't require much more than a cameraman and a director scroll on forever. Tax dollars, corporate sponsorships and Foundation money all down a 'Rat Hole.

[arthurus]

Best news I have heard all month.

[Temple Owl]

Yes, even the credits on silly cartoons run for about a mile.

[NorCoGOP]

PBS didn't broadcast the DCI championships for the first time in four or five years - I didn't renew my membership as a result (it's the only program on PBS I'd watch anyway)...

[ReaganIsRight]

Isn't the Philly public station, 12, out of Wilmington.

Isn't the stinky Inky bad enough without branching out for more?

Lou Ru' has had this coming since he started on the air. One of the first things he did was ban Norman Fosback, a market letter writer who had thousands of subscribers for uttering a four letter word -- SELL!

He also removed Bob Nurock from Paoli, I don't remember why, but that was in the 80's. He was the originator of the Elves that Ru' modified after he left -- and Fosback promptly changed the elves to a contrary indicator.