The Music Video is not dead.

[Jaguar]

Smackie, I like the idea! The trick will be convincing them that it will draw in the pledge money like the shows that the doctors (James Taylor) like to watch.
 
 Maybe you can get some stats on how NPR is doing with their concerts they are broadcasting from DC. If the numbers look good, seems it should help support your claims as it's basically the same concept.
 
 Personally, I've stopped bothering with any of the music broadcasted on PBS because it's always, James Taylor, The Moody Blues, or some other show that I just don't feel like bothering with. I did enjoy the Cream concert but that was a rare event. They really need to broadcast some bands with some youth and life in them. I'm not saying send the oldsters off to the soylent green factory. But I am saying they need some fresh blood and some variety. Some of the bigger US festivals would offer loads of variety and lots of fresher material along with a few classics.
 
 I myself am in the doctors age brackett but can't stand most of what they watch, music-wise. To top it off, polls and surveys usually weed me out assuming that I don't buy CDs or fit what they are looking for. I don't want to say it's discrimanitory but I will say they are leaving out a viable part of the market based on faulty assumptions.

[Arlette]

Great idea, but (hate to be a naysayer), most of these festivals are "selling" the broadcast rights to a high commerical bidder.  SBC (sub of AT&T) seems to be the cash cow these days.  I don't think PBS could match the upfront cash payment that these commercial entities have.  
 
 I think you're on to something though. If PBS could garner aspiring filmakers to follow one or two bands through their festival experience, it would make for good viewing and:
 
 - get the band good publicity from a non-traditional audience, so it'd be a coup for them to cooperate
 
 - get PBS additional viewers
 
 - music fans would dig it because if it has the PBS label it will mean better quality than, say, MTV.
 
 I dunno, not an expert here, just piggy-backing on your good idea.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Arlette:
  Great idea, but (hate to be a naysayer), most of these festivals are "selling" the broadcast rights to a high commerical bidder.  SBC (sub of AT&T) seems to be the cash cow these days.  I don't think PBS could match the upfront cash payment that these commercial entities have.  

They wouldn't have to.  
 
 AT&T (formerly SBC) is better off being a corporate sponsor for the web site and collaborating with PBS to do a web archive or broadcast.  After all, PBS has the film know-how, AT&T has the internet know how.  AT&T is better served by folks going to the PBS website "powered by AT&T" - it will cost less and the product will be of higher quality.
 
 In this model, the only loser is the festival promoters who lose the big corp dollars to the lesser sponsorship dollars, unless you figure that only SXSW consistenly sells the show(s) out - the rest of the festivals could use the exposure they're getting from PBS.  It's bound to sell more tickets.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Jaguar:
  Smackie, I like the idea! The trick will be convincing them that it will draw in the pledge money like the shows that the doctors (James Taylor) like to watch.  

They're not getting any money from 15-45 year old's now, so why should they bother with that?  It's hard to get something from nothing.
 
 At least they'll get a little more money this way now, but 10-15-20 years from now we will all be so happy with PBS that when we do have money to give away, they will already have our attention.
 
 This is an investment now, for the future of PBS.  I call this friend raising.  The problem is they (and their boards) can only think in the now for fund raising.  Friend raising (now) leads to fund raising (later).

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by vansmack:
 I met with PBS last month

have you seen A Mighty Wind?  this whole post reminds me of Bob Balaban's pitch to Ed Begley Jr (the scandanavian jewish PBS honcho) to air the tribute show

[vansmack]

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
  have you seen A Mighty Wind?  this whole post reminds me of Bob Balaban's pitch to Ed Begley Jr (the scandanavian jewish PBS honcho) to air the tribute show

Christopher Guest is a subtle genius.  One of the least celebrated early SNL guys.

[smakawhat]

Just about any Rammstein video is a work of f-in genius