CONTACT INFORMATION

ANNOUNCING HOMEFRONT
A New Public Affairs Program for PCTV21 at the Warhol

Jerry Starr, Director of Pittsburgh Educational Television www.pittedtv.org, a sister organization of Citizens for Independent Public Broadcasting, is pleased to announce the launch of a new public affairs television program, Homefront.

An Open Letter to FCC Commissioner Michael Copps
from Jerold Starr, CIPB Executive Director

WQED Pittsburgh Chooses Home Shopping Over Education click here for full story   FCC PERMITS WQED PITTSBURGH TO COMMERCIALIZE PUBLIC CHANNEL Read News Story by Current Commentary by CIPB Executive Director Jerold Starr Read FCC Decision in Adobe PDF format Download Acrobat Reader

CIPB's Ready For PBS Documentary Tour on WBGN-TV,
Channel 59  November 13-20, 9P-11P

Tune in to see four award-winning documentaries that were denied broadcast on PBS as "too controversial," funded by labor and/or concerned with "out of fashion" international affairs. All films were judged Ready For PBS in a national competition juried by the Association of Independent Video & Filmmakers. CIPB also will present the Pittsburgh premiere of its new video, "Put the Public Into Public Broadcasting," narrated by TV star Mike Farrell.

Each night, local activists will explain the issues in their mission to stop WQED from commercializing and selling WQEX and to influence the FCC to open the channel up to general application from noncommercial educational broadcasters in the community. The following award-winning documentaries will be broadcast on WBGN-TV, Channel 59 (check local listing for cable channel in your area).

NOVEMBER 13, 2001 (9-11PM)

Building The House They Lived In

The story of unions in the 1950's, a highpoint in California labor history. Labor fights back against Cold War attacks like the Taft-Hartley "right to work" act and leads the campaign for fair employment practices.

The Last Graduation: The Rise & Fall Of The College Programs In Prison

Following the 1971 Attica uprising, prison college programs became amazingly effective tools in turning inmates' lives around. So why did the government kill this program?

NOVEMBER 20, 2001 (9-11PM)

Global Village Or Global Pillage

This film shows how workers and communities around the world can unite to fight attacks by multinational corporations on workers and the environment.

Falun Gong: Challenge To China

Chinese government leaders have attacked the Falun Gong resulting in 70,000 arrests, 120 deaths and the burning of 8 million books. What is the Falun Gong and why has it attracted 100 million members worldwide?

Pittsburgh CIPB became the first chapter to stage the "Ready for PBS Documentary Tour." The event was held at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on Friday, April 20th. Three films were shown: "Global Village vs. Global Pillage," "Building the House They Lived In," and Falun Gong's Challenge to China." More than 100 people attended the event, contributing more than $500 toward future chapter activities. Many people stayed after to discuss the films and the work of CIPB. About 20 people signed up to attend future meetings. Press coverage was very positive.

With legal counsel provided by the Institute for Public Representation of the Georgetown University Law School. CIPB Pittsburgh continues to oppose Pittsburgh PBS station WQED's FCC petition to commercialize and sell second station WQEX. This is WQED's third attempt to accomplish this goal. Twice before local citizen action has thwarted their plans. The current application has been pending for eight months.

Much of the leadership in recent months was provided by chapter coordinator Matt Cone, who left Pittsburgh at the end of the summer with wife Anna for a new life in Columbia, Missouri.Chapter Steering Committee stalwarts Mark Ginsberg and Mike Schneider continue to down the fort. With the support from the Funding Exchange (via Three Rivers Community Fund), CIPB Pittsburgh is developing a business plan and vision for a community-owned and operated station that would better serve the public

    Action Agenda includes these items:

Challenge simulcast on WQEX with petitions to FCC and CPB, broad-based media campaign "USE IT or LOSE IT!" Promote public interest programming on WQED Nominate CIPB representatives to serve on WQED board Plan educational events featuring speakers and film

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

November 14. Due to the simulcasting of WQED and WQEX, Pittsburghers find themselves in the unique and unfortunate position of having two local PBS affiliates that refrain from airing programs that are creative, that focus on public affairs and matters of local concern, and that provide a voice for groups that may otherwise be unheard. The November 14 meeting began with a discussion of how CIPB can make Pittsburghers aware that public broadcasting can be much better than it is at present. Towards this end, CIPB Executive Director Jerry Starr suggested that the Pittsburgh chapter highlight the fact that compelling programming is often rejected by PBS and its affiliates by organizing a film series composed entirely of documentaries that have been rejected by PBS. The film series, tentatively titled the "Ready for PBS Documentary Film Competition," will feature one film from each of six different categories. The winners of the series will be announced by CIPB in the spring and the Pittsburgh chapter will discuss the planning of a spring film series at the steering committee meeting on Monday, December 4.

With the simulcasting of WQED and WQEX now entering its fourth year, members of CIPB discussed means to end this sad state of affairs. Group members spoke about ways to place public pressure on these two stations to fulfill their public service commitment to, in the words of the Carnegie Commission, "help us see America, in all of its diversity." Additionally, Starr talked about legal challenges to the simulcasting of WQED and WQEX. According to Starr, this simulcasting arrangement violates the FCC's own rules forbidding a station from remaining dormant for a full year.

Finally, Starr assured the group that CIPB is taking steps at the national level to ensure that public television lives up to its potential. He said that CIPB has hired the progressive PR firm, David Fenton & Associates, to promote a democratic vision of public broadcasting that is consistent with the goals of the CIPB.

September 21. Over twenty concerned citizens gathered for the first meeting of the Pittsburgh Chapter on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Those attending included university and college professors, union members, and many self-identified "average viewers." They voiced concerns over the lack of diversity in programming, creeping commercialism, not enough of the best PBS has to offer and too many programs with a business bent and none that offered the viewpoints of labor and workers. Starr said after talking with other CIPB chapters around the country that viewer complaints are eerily similar: "Too much commercials, not enough public affairs and not enough diversity."

A major concern for these Pittsburghers was that one of the PBS station's WQED is simulcasting its programs onto the other PBS station WQEX. The simulcasting has been going on since November 1997. Earlier that day, WQED president George Miles offered no hope that it would stop. "I think it's efficient for us to do simulcasting. We'll take a look at all our options on WQEX then we'll make a decision on what we're going to do on the simulcast."

This blatant waste of the Pittsburgh community's airwaves must be stopped and Starr pledged to the group that CIPB is "prepared to help you in challenging the simulcast. It is an outrage." He promised help with mass mailings, the use of the CIPB Video, the CIPB Training Manual, national speakers and other assistance.