How to Prevent Further Cancellations


By Deborah Gilbert


How to Prevent Further Cancellations Who do we all have to thank for introducing us to that wonderful place called Albert Square? Public TV stations!

Yet why do some EastEnders fans hold such animosity towards their local PBS stations? I believe that a lot of it might be simple misconceptions and misunderstandings. We are a beleaguered lot!

I know that when I posted information about the WLIW pledge nights on various Internet fan sites, I received many negative responses from fans saying that they were NOT pledging. Most gave reasons that showed these fans misunderstood the issues involved. They didn't seem to realize that by not pledging, they were (as my grandmother used to say) cutting off their noses to spite their faces. Others said they worried that even if they pledged EE would be cancelled anyway because the total fell short. I believe that is really a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The public TV stations have been there for us since the very beginning. True, some stations have dropped by the wayside, but that was often due to lack of support from us, the fans.

I recently had a very disturbing conversation with one of my contacts at WLIW, the Long Island, NY public TV station that carries EastEnders. She mentioned that they have been subjected recently to quite a few very nasty e-mails and calls from EastEnders fans. She said this gives the station a very bad impression of EE fans. It makes them think, "Why should we keep this on the air if this is what we have to deal with?" That is a very understandable thought on their part.

These fans are giving us all a bad name, partly because people are always more likely to write when they have a complaint, rather than a compliment. So those of us who are positive about the station don't get heard, because we don't voice our appreciation. By default, the complaints become the face of the EE fan, and they are counter-productive. We really have to do something to turn this around.

"I really dislike the antagonistic attitudes some EastEnders fans have toward their local stations," says Dave Horne, of the legendary EE fans of North Carolina, "We've taken the opposite approach, and work with and support UNC-TV. It's made all the difference in the world." In North Carolina, EastEnders fans have become assets to the station by volunteering for pledge drives (and not just EE pledge drives).

Fans don't realise that the stations must raise money not just for EE, but also to pay for their overheads. With a shrinking economy and less government support, this is increasingly difficult. That is why EE is often preempted. The stations must fund-raise around shows that have proven to get results.

There are approximately 100,000 viewers who watch EE on any given Saturday night in New York, and WLIW has to raise $70,000 to keep it on the air for a year. If everyone pledged at the basic membership level of $40, it would take only 1,750 fans; a very small percentage of those watching. In North Carolina, they raise all they need in one night! We, in New York, are really lucky that WLIW keeps trying! Why can't New York fans rally the way North Carolina fans do?

All this brings us to Blizzard-gate. There was a major pledge drive planned for the night of last Dec. 7, 2003. WLIW had brought Leonard Fenton over from London to appear, but there was a big blizzard. The State Police declared a state of emergency on Long Island (where the station is), and so the pledge night had to be postponed. Rather than understand that, fans caused a blizzard of their own, hitting the station with angry complaints. Fans should have been able to see that it was a dangerous situation, and the station made the right decision.

WLIW has taken a big chance on EE. It is their most expensive programme, and it is STILL on the air even though they have not received enough pledges to pay for the year's license. If we DO lose it, it could be those nasty e-mails that results in a cancellation.

In a recent WLIW pledge drive, it was suggested to viewers that if they want to see what happens to all these characters they love, they need to pledge to keep the show on the air. What happened? They got hit with e-mails saying things like, "No, we don't need you to find out what happens to the characters. We can go on-line to find that out." HUH? Since when does a text plot summary substitute for an actual full episode?

Unfortunately, in the absence of positive, appreciative letters, angry complaints like this are defining the EastEnders fans to local PBS stations. It's time for a change.

It is time for us to voice our appreciation to all our PBS stations that are still carrying EastEnders! Those of us who are still lucky enough to live in a place where it's still on the air should let the stations know how much we appreciate yhatthey are still carrying EE. Tell them just how much the show means to you, and why. That is important.

They are PUBLIC stations and they need to know just how much their programming means to the public. Let them know that you understand and appreciate how much it takes out of their budget, and how much you appreciate that they broadcast a show that otherwise would not be on TV.

Forget about the complaints for now, about the preemptions and scheduling problems, and please put aside the animosity. How would you feel if EastEnders were gone for good? Please do something now-in addition to pledging-to help keep it on the air.

And if you haven't pledged yet, you don't have to wait for another pledge drive. If you are a New York area viewer, you can call WLIW any time 1-800-767-2121, and say you are pledging for EastEnders. Or you can go online to: www.wliw.org. All the pledge gifts are listed there. Or, you could send a check with "SAVE EASTENDERS PLEDGE" written in the memo line.

Or call your own local PBS station during their pledge drive, and ALWAYS make sure they know, whenever you pledge, that you are pledging for EastEnders.

If you HAVE pledged, please write to let them know, and voice your appreciation:

WLIW
Attn:Viewer Services
P.O. Box 21
Plainview, NY 11803-0021

The fact is, EastEnders is-and probably will always be-no more than a boutique programme in the U.S. We are a small group by TV standards, and if EastEnders never finds another home on American TV, fans will feel really badly that they cavalierly treated their stations with such contempt.

I, for one, am grateful that my local station has brought me this wonderful programme, and everything that has come from it, these many years. And so I will continue to pledge, and I will also (as importantly) voice my appreciation for their efforts. I hope that you ALL will do the same!




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