If you listen to public radio at all,

then you know that this week is the semi-annual event known as 'pledge drive' or fund raising. Public radio stations use majority of air-time during a week in spring and fall (guess some stations may do one and not the other) to ask folk who are listening; i.e., benefitting from, taking part in, enjoying, using the services of, the radio station to donate financially. Thus, public radio.

Truthfully, these two weeks (or whatever parts of them thus used) are the bane of public radio listeners--you get music, news, intelligent programming AND you get lots of talking heads. Talking heads that repeat dollar values, telephone numbers, reasons to donate and sometimes names of persons who do donate. It could be called a 'necessary evil', an oxymoron that describes something we should not have to do, but we must do if we want to continue the stuff we DO want to do.

Public television does this, also because they need the money. And those of us that donate money or time (which can involve various skills--I can stuff envelopes, answer phones, write letters if I have to) really wish everyone would just write a check for any amount they can afford, help stations reach their goals quickly and get back to the business of informing and entertaining. BUT it's not the nature of the beast, evidently, to give without being begged.

IF government funded more of the broadcasting, less privately-provided funding would be required. Maybe that would be a better way; maybe it would not. As long as the public in public broadcasting is actually private funds (from members of the public) then we'll have fundraising.

So this week, I'll spend a few hours answering phones, fill out a new pledge form and listen to some of the voices asking for help and support. I don't like it much; but not having public radio in my town, on my radio at home and in the car would be far worse. A television without PBS or a radio without NPR would be grim indeed. The programming provided by commercial broadcasters is so abominable, with some exceptions noted for specific programs, that I gladly send money to my local public broadcasters and say 'thank you' for persevering, for telling me things I wouldn't hear or see anywhere else, for sharing wonderful music, theatre, dance and intelligent discussions of cogent issues. My world is larger, brighter and more interesting because you're there.