DCI "Places ESPN2 Broadcoast on Hiatus"

[karl E. Hungus]

does anyone else think that dci should become a "for profit" orgainization? it would certainly get cash flowing.

also does this mean were back on pbs?

[JimF-LowBari]

I always thought PBS and DCI was a perfect marriage... guess not.

Longer the PBS telecasts went on, the smaller the audience and donations went down. When Central PA starting getting the live feed (1975) it was the biggest night of fund raising for the Hershey PBS station. Local corps members took the pledge calls a few years. One year in the late 70s half the telecast was pre-empted because of a state budget impass and the live feed went to a vote in the capital. Local PBS station ended up running the tape of DCI twice to make up to the viewers/supporters as people went berzerk. (Irony is Central PA was a Senior corps area and not sure if closest Jr corps could even get the Hershey station.)

Sometime in the mid/late 80s we started getting the two hour version with a lot of publicity. Then we got the two hour version with NO advance notice.

Now the PBS station has Doo-Wop concerts with pledge breaks in between. :(

Edited November 16, 2007 by JimF-3rdBari

[Tom Brace]

Might be a good (necessary) biz decision now, but it calls into question the decision to transition over to ESPN in the first place.

Anyone have any knowledge of ESPN vs. PBS production costs and/or why PBS broadcasts: a. were abondoned; b. are no longer an option (at least currently)?

I always thought PBS and DCI was a perfect marriage... guess not.

I believe the production costs are virtually the same. DCI produced the show with Tom Blair for many years on PBS and also with the brief stint on ESPN2.

Their broadcast numbers this year were way down from last year. Having Women's softball as an lead in didn't help. Sorry if this sounds sexist, but if your mad at me...watch more women's softball then!

I know DCI/Advertisers bought the airtime from ESPN2. My guess was that PBS worked a deal to use the show during pledge drives. I've heard several discussions about PBS dumping the program because of low pledge fulfillment from drum corps types but I have not seen factual information proving this statement by others.

Again, it's a good decision because more dollars can go to directly support...wait for it....

THE CORPS!

<horns down>

[Tom Brace]

does anyone else think that dci should become a "for profit" orgainization? it would certainly get cash flowing.

DCI would be worse off as a for profit entity.

also does this mean were back on pbs?

I dunno. I understand that PBS affiliates started refusing to carry the broadcast because drum corps types were not willing to fulfill their pledges to local stations. So PBS in effect, dumped DCI.

[Tom Brace]

Didn't the Cook Group underwrite the last season on PBS?

I seem to recall that.

[JimF-LowBari]

I know DCI/Advertisers bought the airtime from ESPN2. My guess was that PBS worked a deal to use the show during pledge drives. I've heard several discussions about PBS dumping the program because of low pledge fulfillment from drum corps types but I have not seen factual information proving this statement by others.

There were short breaks between some corps that gave PBS a few minutes to show the pledge part of the night. Never thought of it before but possibly that was worked out between PBS/DCI. Hershey ended up taking a big break as the corps went out to retreat. Usually they had a screen showing the live feed to prove "you're not missing anything".

Not sure if I'd call it "PBS dumping the program", more like finding shows that generated more pledges. Nationwide PBS tried a live bit with Red Green that wore on (and I mean wore on all night). In the 70s Drum Corps had more fans from the age group that watched other PBS programs and could afford to donate. As DCIs audience (target and outwise) got younger and younger, we're moving into a group that can't afford to pledge that much. Or at least not as much as the folks watching Doo-Wop in my area.

Edit: Just saw the "not fulfilling pedges" part of the post. Locally I believe it was more a case of less pledges, not pledges not being honored. (Oh man, Homer being chased by the Sesame Street gang for making phony pledge just came to mind. :P )

Edited November 16, 2007 by JimF-3rdBari

[ScribeToo]

Didn't the Cook Group underwrite the last season on PBS?

I seem to recall that.

Cook Group may have underwritten the production costs (at least in part) but it was not something the PBS stations were ever required to carry.. most used it as a pledge drive special.. and as more and more stations stopped using it (citing the low pledge fulfillment numbers), the less useful and profitable PBS's exposure became (for DCI and their production partners).

And for the record, the only way I ever knew about the low pledge fulfillment being an issue was when I called my local PBS station and kept calling until I got to some exec who was able to explain to me why they weren't carrying it in our market (at the time, a market that was trying to re-enter the drum corps scene). It was never anything given to me in writing.. just a phone conversation I personally had with a guy at the PBS station in my area at the time.

When I started hearing similar stories from elsewhere around the country, it was reasonably believable. That was enough explanation for me.

[ouooga]

Would pay-per-view be a viable option? Maybe they could even do it live. I'm pretty sure that's a bit more affordable way of going about it, though I'm not sure the logistics of it all.

[DebateGuy]

does anyone else think that dci should become a "for profit" orgainization? it would certainly get cash flowing.

I'm not sure you understand the difference between entities that are "for profit" and "not for profit". The only important difference between the two is that a not for profit entity must put the monies they earn back into the organization itself. They have some other rules, of course. Taxation, missions, that sort of stuff. But that's really the only difference.

The common misconception is that not for profits have to not make money. Not so. There are a ton of NFP hospitals out there, and they certainly don't operate at a loss. They just put anything they make beyond their operating costs into better facilities, newer equipment, that sort of thing.

So no, to answer your question. I don't see myself wanting DCI to ever become a for profit entity.

[Tom Brace]

Would pay-per-view be a viable option? Maybe they could even do it live. I'm pretty sure that's a bit more affordable way of going about it, though I'm not sure the logistics of it all.

Interesting...they put Quarters on in the theaters, webcast semis...what about an HD PPV event. I mean the cameras are there anyway, it would be like buying a seat at Indy only moving it to my living room. It could work. I don't know what it costs to get a PPV Channel access though.