WETA DEMANDS $50K BY JAN.16 TO KEEP EE ON AIR
By Larry Jaffee
WASHINGTON, DC—WETA has given EastEnders fans an ultimatum to come up
with $50,000 by Jan. 16, 2007 or lose the show on Jan. 27.
By Dec. 5, the fans already made pledges totaling $27,600 —
believed to be enough to cover the station's licence fee for the show
— only to be told by station program director Kevin Harris that they
needed to raise nearly twice as much to cover a second year, according
to Michael A. Gordon, a Washington, DC real estate lawyer, who has
spearheaded the fan effort to save the series.
(Editor's note: If you're from outside the WETA viewing area and would
like to contribute to the cause, call immediately either Michael
Gordon at 301-656-7710, Saul Rosen at 301-984-1047, or Florence Neider
at 703-255-2139.)
"The January 16 deadline is "contrary to what we were told at our
meeting, but we were anticipating the change," said Gordon.
Harris' reason for demanding a two-year amount is that he "doesn't
want to have to go through this again next year."
Gordon told the Walford Gazette he is urging everyone who has
already pledged to double his or her commitment.
The WETA board of trustees did not allow EastEnders fans to speak
at a meeting in early December.
Prior to that meeting, Gordon and Judy Hallett, a local college
professor in late November met with Harris, WETA president & CEO
Sharon Rockefeller and WETA board chairman John Hechinger to urge WETA
to reverse the cancellation decision. They left with knowing that "the
only way" EastEnders could be saved was coming up with $50,000.
This ultimatum easily eclipsed WLIW's January 2005 demand of
$29,000 (nearly $35,000 was raised) for only one year, and to the
station's credit the show is still on the air in the New York area.
The DC-area fans, who hail from Maryland, Virginia and the
nation's capitol, will receive their checks back from Gordon if they
fall short of the $50,000 needed.
Gordon and his steering committee contacted other public TV
stations in the area, and initially there was some interest from one
but only if it could control "national rights," which is not the case
with EastEnders. Hence, it purportedly lost interest.
"All of us believe that the 'offer' that was made by WETA
borders on being extortionate," wrote Gordon in an e-mail to concerned
fans. "However, the station has made it clear that it is
non-negotiable and it seems as if they would prefer we simply give up.
If we do so, we will only be spiting ourselves. THEREFORE, IF YOU
STILL WANT TO SAVE THE SHOW, THIS IS OUR ONLY CHANCE FOR DOING SO.
There is simply nothing else we can tell them that will change the
terms of the offer."
The Washington Post published in October a favourable piece about
the fans' plight and was somewhat sympathetic to their cause, but the
writer obviously knew nothing of the show.
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