Theater Attendance Growth - 11 year record growth

[Jeff Ream]

I would like to see DCI offer finals as real PPV, not streaming. There are too many variables with streaming that do not come with PPV.

I'd pay $100 for PPV. No joke.

streaming was fine this year. last year, the host didnt believe how many people would buy and watch and it was jammed up.

this year they were prepared

[BRASSO]

Yes, the lack of followthrough by DCI pledgers contributed to the removal of the show from PBS affiliates, which has been posted here in the past.

For accuracy sake, and as one who volunteered and worked the phones at WGBH station in the Boston Studios during the PBS DCI broadcast for 2 years, I can also tell our DCP readers that the level of DCI Finals viewership pledges itself was significantly down from earlier years too... not just the level of promised pledges that resulted in increased reneging on those viewership pledges as the years went on with the DCI Finals telecast on PBS.

As mentioned earlier on here, it is my belief that the PBS/ DCI relationship was going to cease at some point anyway.. PBS was changing.. DCI was changing. Today,one look at the current programming on PBS and its clear that the Millenials arn't PBS target market anymore ( not that it ever really was.. but its even less so today ) ). Today. PBS's typical audience demographic is probably older, whiter, urban than ever before. My guess, PBS won't be able to beg themselves into future viability. Once their typical audience begins to increasingly be found pushing up daisies, PBS will cease to exist, imo. PBS has lost a whole generation of Millenials. With Government spending now approaching 17 trillion in debt, the future taxpayors won't be able to continue to prop up a financial loser of a station that can only exist thru large public and Corporate panhandling coupled with taxpayors garnished funds disbursements.

DCI,in the long run, is better off not being aligned with a Network whose future is even more precarious than it is.

Edited November 15, 2014 by BRASSO

[N.E. Brigand]

Today, one look at the current programming on PBS and it's clear that the Millennials aren't PBS's target market anymore (not that they ever really were, but it's even less so today). Today, PBS's typical audience demographic is probably older, whiter, urban than ever before. My guess, PBS won't be able to beg themselves into future viability. Once their typical audience begins to increasingly be found pushing up daisies, PBS will cease to exist, imo. PBS has lost a whole generation of Millennials. With government spending now approaching 17 trillion in debt, the future taxpayers won't be able to continue to prop up a financial loser of a station that can only exist through large public and corporate panhandling coupled with taxpayers' garnished fund disbursements. DCI,in the long run, is better off not being aligned with a Network whose future is even more precarious than it is.

FYI, economists generally find it more useful to measure the national debt as a percentage of GDP than as a raw figure, which might be meaningless: $17 trillion sounds huge, but if GDP were $50 trillion, then it wouldn't be. I can remember alarms being sounded when I first heard of the national debt as a kid in 1987, when it reached the then-record figure of $2 trillion: a number too big ever to be paid off, it was argued. (For the purposes of this comment, I'm not saying they weren't right to say so, just suggesting that if the current debt figure were $2 trillion, you wouldn't be saying so now.) Now, as it happens, as a percentage of GDP, the current national debt at about 103% is indeed the largest it's been since the end of World War II, when it exceeded 110% of GDP. The years of lowest debt in the interim, believe it or not, were 1973-1981.

As for PBS, I'd like to compare its regular schedule from DCI's early years and now before deciding that it's abandoned programming for Millennials. For instance, in the 1970s one of PBS's biggest successes was Upstairs, Downstairs. Now one of its biggest successes is Downton Abbey. Did the former appeal to younger viewers in a way that the latter does not? What else was PBS showing in DCI's best public broadcast years that appealed to a DCI audience?

Edited November 15, 2014 by N.E. Brigand

[BRASSO]

? What else was PBS showing in DCI's best public broadcast years that appealed to a DCI audience?

Not much. Its true... PBS was a good station for innovative children's programming, and for the grey haired

pearls clutchers, But PBS never really was " popular " with the 20 Somethings, even in the DCI Broadcast years. But at least it offered a few more programming choices back then that appealed a bit more to this demographic than today.

Heck, PBS once regularly showed in the 70's the new rock groups in concert from the 70's... the " new " Fleetwood Mac ", the "new " James Taylor", the " new " David Frost ", the new and still relevant " Bill Moyers ", and so forth.

Fast forward today, and PBS is still broadcasting " Bill Moyers ", ... " James Taylor in Concert",... " Peter, Paul & Mary ", Simon & Garfunkel ", etc and the like. When was the last time PBS aired a fresh and alternative, progressive rock music group of today ( or Rap or Soul ) where most of its band members arn't eligible ( or receiving ) Social Security checks ?

Edited November 15, 2014 by BRASSO

[N.E. Brigand]

Fast forward to today, and PBS is still broadcasting Bill Moyers, James Taylor, and the like. When was the last time PBS aired a fresh and alternative, progressive rock music group of today (or Rap or Soul) whose most band members aren't eligible for Social Security checks?

On Austin City Limits maybe? Although I would like to know how much overlap there is between drum corps fans and fans of alternative progressive rock.

[BRASSO]

On Austin City Limits maybe? Although I would like to know how much overlap there is between drum corps fans and fans of alternative progressive rock.

Even the music groups that PBS feature on " Austin City Limits " generally tend to be groups that are still relevant with the AARP crowd, but that havn't had a Top 25 hit in decades, nor tend to fit the " new and progressive, alternative rock music " realm and its youthful fanbase.

I do agree with you that todays Drum Corps fans... and significant portions of its performers... are not into " alternative , progressive rock music" ( or Rap, Soul for that matter )

I said it before above, and it probably does not bare repeating, but PBS is dying, and for a host of reasons PBS is just not a good fit for DCI Drum Corps any longer, nor DCI of today a good fit any longer for PBS.

Edited November 15, 2014 by BRASSO

[GUARDLING]

On Austin City Limits maybe? Although I would like to know how much overlap there is between drum corps fans and fans of alternative progressive rock.

.

PBS has often programmed to where the dollars might be, The more current things on PBS for the kiddie crowd would'nt offer many pledges i would suppose and the older more seasoned individual with some disposable income would benefit PBS. So which makes sense? I don't think PBS was ever a popular place for the young. ( maybe some ) As far as drum corps, just not enough support period I believe. Like Mike D said earlier.

AS far as over lap, it's most likely very different now from the past but do not think today's youth is hanging around PBS but as I said maybe youth never did.

Same can be said of even TV. I know many young people that have almost NEVER sat and watched TV, not with all the new electronics .

OOPS, I just realized the topic wasn't even PBS..sorry for contributing. BACK TO THE THEATER!

Edited November 16, 2014 by GUARDLING

[Tim K]

PBS has often programmed to where the dollars might be, The more current things on PBS for the kiddie crowd would'nt offer many pledges i would suppose and the older more seasoned individual with some disposable income would benefit PBS. So which makes sense? I don't think PBS was ever a popular place for the young. ( maybe some ) As far as drum corps, just not enough support period I believe. Like Mike D said earlier.

AS far as over lap, it's most likely very different now from the past but do not think today's youth is hanging around PBS but as I said maybe youth never did.

Same can be said of even TV. I know many young people that have almost NEVER sat and watched TV, not with all the new electronics .

OOPS, I just realized the topic wasn't even PBS..sorry for contributing. BACK TO THE THEATER!

I'm not sure the young audience ever chose PBS. I was just at the upper end of "Sesame Street's" target audience when it came on the air and about the target age when "The Electric Company" premiered and I was a major bookworm who loved the library, but would often switch the channel to watch reruns of "The Flintstones" when my parents were not looking (only educational television was a reason not to be outdoors after school). While I watched DCI when the broadcasts were live (1976-1980, can't recall if 75 was live) and later the taped versions (1982 until ESPN), I know I did not see announcements on PBS from regular viewing to whet my appetite. I know some high school students are addicted to "Downton Abbey" but even today, PBS is not where you find a young audience.

In my opinion, the theater experience is perfect for a young audience. Depending on the theater, a lot of great things happen. For one thing, the kids interact with each other. Adults share their experiences and hear what is happening today. Lines at concession stands can build community and I've never seen old cranks and snooty kids arguing old school/contemporary. Most kids appreciate someone caring about their musical activities and most adults enjoy talking with good kids. Perhaps all this sounds like "Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood" drum corps style, it but the theater broadcasts do a great job at presenting drum corps and growing the audience.

[KVG_DC]

PBS drew the geek crowd with all the British sitcoms back in my college days. In grad school, they made major inroads with the 20 somethings running Tales of the City, but then the "moral police" threatened their federal funding because "OMG GAY PEOPLE ARE IN THAT SHOW" so that was the end of that. Now that there's a niche channel on cable for every niche, PBS has a harder time picking up the niche audiences. I wonder if one of those channels like Arts and Entertainment would cut a deal for DCI?

[Lincoln]

PBS drew the geek crowd with all the British sitcoms back in my college days.

I watched PBS to catch Monty Python, Keeping up Appearances and DCI.