PBS Channel 8 Budget Cuts Cause Fundraisers to Howl: "The Wolf is at the Door!"

PBS Channel 8 (KAET-TV) is crying wolf over its financial situation, but it's a real wolf. Make that a metaphorical real wolf. Whatever -- they've got a cute, little drawing of it on an e-mail sent to potential donors and a Web page. Money problems plague the station because the public is donating less, what...

By Ray Stern

May 7, 2009

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PBS Channel 8 (KAET-TV) is crying wolf over its financial situation, but it's a real wolf. Make that a metaphorical real wolf. Whatever -- they've got a cute, little drawing of it on an e-mail sent to potential donors and a Web page.

Money problems plague the station because the public is donating less, what with the recession and all. The Arizona Capitol Times reported recently that the local public affairs show Horizon is only a few cutbacks away from becoming TV snow.

According to KAET, "the wolf is at the door:"

The Wolf is at the Door!

We would never cry wolf, but this summer is going to be much "hotter" than expected for Eight. It's been a challenging year financially for the station and the wolf is at the door.

The next few weeks will determine a lot for public broadcasting in Arizona and we invite you to help shape the future with a special gift today.

We have no intention on turning back from our promises to you. In fact, we have told PBS to keep the programs coming to Arizona. With your help, the only wolf we will ever see will be on a PBS documentary. Not on our doorstep.

The programs and services that our community can count on--count on you. Thank you.

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.