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Larry Jarvik cites Victory at Sea, NBC Symphony, Leonard Bernstein, etc.
as examples of network programs which carried out the functions now served
by PBS. It is telling that we have to go so far back to find such vivid
examples. I would recommend that people look at Vance Kepley's important
essay on Operation Frontal Lobe in Tino Balio's anthology on the American
Film Industry in the Age of Television. (Sorry I don't have a full cite
handy.) Kepley would argue that these programs originated at a specific
moment in American television history when the ability to fill out the
schedule and attract upscale viewers was more important than ratings. As
the program day was filled and as television reached the entire population,
there was a shift towards more common denomenator types of programs which
would have broader mass appeal and many of the high profile culture and
documentary programs fell by the wayside. I suppose that gives us some hope
that the emerging networks, Fox, UPN or Warners would adopt a similar strategy
to round out their dial, but I wouldn't hold my breath. They seem to have
defined their desired audience demographics very differently than early
television even if they face some of the same problems. The other key
factor which led to the emergence of shows like VICTORY AT SEA would seem
to be pressure from the FCC towards community service and responsible use
of the airwaves. However, since deregulation of the broadcast industry and
a crippling of the FCC seem to be also part of a conservative agenda, it is
hard to see how we can meaningfully subject the networks to this kind of
incentive. The point of PBS was that it would provide the kinds of programs
which were culturally important or reflected minority perspectives and which
could probably not find a broad popular audience on TV. In some ways, PBS's
success in building an audience (as well as its turning increasingly towards
entertainment shows like ARE YOU BEING SERVED to broaden its base) are
the cause of its inability at present to define and sell its mission. I don't
think, however, that abolishing federal funding for PBS would be sufficient
to motivate the networks to suddenly start financing THE CIVIL WAR.
 
--Henry Jenkins