KCPT Fixed Their "Week In Review" Problem

What a surprise. I've written a few times here that Kansas City Public Television's show "Week in Review" had real issues of representation on their program. It was virtually always 3 white people and a Black man and that was it. Not one Hispanic or Latinx person represented usually on their panel. Once in a while, yes. Usually, regularly, no. Absolutely not.

So how did they fix it? They didn't have even ONE guest on the program for a panel whatever. Problem solved? Ironically, as Nick Haines interviewed Mayor Quinton Lucas on the show tonight, the Mayor mentioned his own going to the West side of the city on Cinco de Mayo to talk to the Hispanic citizens there. Pretty hilarious. At least he recognizes there is a Hispanic community here and they need to be included.

Question for Kansas City Public Television

You have someone named Vickie Diaz-Camacho telling us how great KCPT is in your advertising but you can't get an Hispanic or Latinx person on "Week In Review" every week?

Seriously?

KCPT Week in Review--- 3 White People and a Token Black

Once more, one more time this week, KCPT, "Kansas City Public Television" and their "Week in Review" program has 3 white people and Eric Wesson, a token Black man, on their program. That's it. Three white people and a Black man.

Thank goodness, again, Eric Wesson shows up. Thank you, sir, for being there, time and again. To KCPT, "Kansas City Public Television", there are no Hispanic people in the community. Thank goodness they got 2 white women to appear on the program so they have at least SOME more minorities on the show. So hoping one day they fix this. Hey, we can hope.

KCPT's "Week In Review", Keeping it White, Keeping it Male

Unbelievable. It's supposed to be "Kansas City Public Talevision" but their one weekly local news program is once again, mostly just white. And what isn't just white is very mostly just male.

Once again, tonight, our local PBS station, the one asking us to send them our money and who says they represent us all, had--count them--three white people and one token Black person, a Black man, Eric Wesson, God bless him, on their weekly news program. Two white men a white woman and Eric Wesson. That was it. No Hispanic. No two women. Nothing. That was it.Thank goodness Eric Wesson can and will show up every week. When the program was over, Kliff Kuehl, who runs KCPT, thanked us for sending in money and swore it's about representing us all. Hey, send in your money, folks. We represent you. Right.Our local paper, the Kansas City Star, apologizes for not representing all of us over the years. Then KCPT gives us this. Wow.

A Solution for PBS and KCPT for Fundraising

Yes, indeed. Herewith, a good solution for PBS and our own Kansas City Public Television for the biannual fundraising. Instead of blackmailing us with God-awful nearly ancient 60s music and musicians.

Instead of all that, why not--please--take your BEST programs and show them, instead? Much of America out here, including me, sees a lot of New York Broadway plays on PBS. Why not use those to fund raise,instead? Sure, chop them up just the same way you do those God-awful 60s music pieces and artists but with this material we can and do only get from you, from PBS. Use Broadway plays, your "Nature" programs, "Frontline", all of it. It recognizes both your viewers education and intelligence as well as their monthly and/or annual contributions they make to your organization and existence. I'll never forget the only way or reason I was exposed to the New York Broadway play of Charles Dickens' "Nicholas Nickleby" was because of a PBS broadcast. And you know what? It hasn't been on in years. This is a perfect example of why and how you could show that, fund raise and still not insult your audience/contributors, all at the same time. They could, at the same time as the programs, run a tape at the bottom asking, begging, pleading, reminding viewers to call and support them, too. It would be perfect. So please, PBS, do this. Please make this change, these changes.Respect us. Respect your audience, your contributors. Make it all make sense. This Fall, stop showing us ancient, disconnected rock and roll. You're not an oldies FM radio program. Do this, instead. Again, please. Please. I'm begging. We're all begging. Really. Give us reasons to watch your programming 52 weeks a year, even DURING fund raising weeks. You'll gain, you'll win and we will, too. Stop insulting your audience and contributors.

Kansans! Do You Know What Your (Republican) Representatives Did Last Week in Topeka?

Seriously, Kansans, do you know what your state government representatives did last week in Topeka? Especially the Republican Party Represntatives? Davis Hammet, once again, gives an exellent, factual recap of just what went on over there.

I personally cannot recommend enough that Kansns at least follow Mr. Hammet and his organization, Loud Light, if not also support him and the group (please). He's doing great work and giving great information on Kansas Statehouse business that literally no other source is, Kansas City Star and all local TV news stations combined and included. If you could and would support him, howver large or small, it would be money extremely well spent, I assure you.He gives these excellent, concise summaries weekly, as this suggests. For me, it's a "don't miss" video each week---and I don't eeen live in the state. Now if Steve Kraske at KCUR would have him on his program and Nick Haines at KCPT on his. If only.

Further Proof Why the US Owes Reparations

Anyone who knows American history--REALLY knows American history--knows we owe African-Americans reparations. This is just one more example and reason. Segregation, legalized segregation, is why our cities all across our nation, including, of course, our own Kansas City, are split by race to this day. Then we had them go to inferior schools, have fewer jobs, if any job at all because they were further away from those jobs and certainly farther away from the better jobs, farther away from transportation and so, finally, they got and would get less money. It's all outrageous. And blatant.

When Will KCPT Stop Blackmailing Us?

Every Spring and Fall, for one week, our local KCPT, Kansas City Public Television, PBS , turns insipid. It's all for fundraising. Like now, this week.

The other 50 weeks it's intelligent and/or entertaining and usually informative. For these 2 weeks, it turns into a blackmailing jukebox. It goes from intelligent to insipid and isnulting. It makes no sense. There has got to be better ways, much better ways to raise money than playing music for Boomers. And trust me, this is coming from a Boomer.

KCPT's Week In Review!!!

Whoo-hoo!!

Big, big news from Kansas City Public Television's "Week In Review"!

They only had 3---THREE--white people on their weekly panel this week--with one token Black man! Eric Wesson!

Hey, they squeezed in one minority. Like last week, they might have even just left him, Mr. Wesson out.

Still no Hispanic or member of the local Latinx community but hey, they got one whole minority person in there!

Whattya' think?  22nd Century they might have a white man, a white woman, an African-American and a Hispanic on the show?

Maybe??

Perhaps I'll call them this week and let them know there is a HIspanic community out here in the area.  Seems clear they don't know it.

Again, I'm just glad they can make sure they ask for money, donations from Black and Hispanic citizens in the area----even if they don't have them or want to have them on the program.

KCPT: Week In Review-- Lily, Bleached White Men

Holy cow.

KCPT, Kansas City Public Television tonight on the "Week in Review" program not only didn't have a token Black person, Black man or woman on the program or a Hispanic but get this. All they had was TWO WHITE MEN.

Let me say that again.

On the local PBS TV station's weekly news program, all they had was 2 white men as guests. With the host, NIck Haines, that makes for 3 white men. Period.  That's it. That's all.

Thank God they interviewed Mayor Quinton Lucas at the beginning of the program.

Maybe they don't know Mayor Lucas is Black?

I mean wow.

Seriously, KCPT.

Two white men? 

That's it?

No women?

No Black man or woman?

No Hispanic person?

The local newspaper, the Kansas City Star goes out of their way recently, to apologize for only representing the white, Caucasian side of local news over its history and all you have on your weekly, local TV program this week is THREE WHITE GUYS?

Again, REALLY?

And it wasn't snowing yet so please, please don't try to use the weather as an excuse.

Guys, gals, may I come down and get some of your bleach?

Nearly Bleached White KCPT "Week In Review"--With a Token

 I give up.

KCPT, our local PBS station, is supposed to represent us all, across the metropolitan area, but, geez. Their "Week in Review" program with Nick Haines, is supposed to represent us all and they advertise that and they emphasize, day after day, again and again, that the Hispanic Dos Mundos is one of their supporters but holy cow. Time after time, week after week, show after show, it's 3 very, very bleached white people and one--token--Black person.

That's it.

They either can't or just don't or won't get any Hispanic or Latinx person. Nearly never.  So frequently, again, repeatedly, they have the white person and worse, the conservative, if not out and out just Republican Party, white person covered but anyone from the Hispanic viewpoint?

Fuggedaboudit.

Not a chance.

So yeah. I give up. It's going to be a nearly bleached white, largely Right Wing, if not Republican, conservative viewpoint.

Congratulations, KCPT. Congratulations, Nick.

Love to hear what the white people's view is.

Nearly singularly.

Nearly solely.

I guess this is progress. It used to be only all 4 white people. Every time. Week after week.

Sure.  Right.

Never mind.

There's no reason to watch this program any further.

How are they not embarrassed? Professionally embarrassed.

Someone please tell me, please explain to me how this isn't racist.

Fantastic News From KCPT!

I am pleasantly, very, very pleasantly surprised to the point of shocked today.   Our local PBS station,  KCPT, made a terrific, even fantastic and very responsible decision. Here goes.

As a trusted source for public media in the Kansas City area, KCPT monitors community feedback and evaluates station programming, services and initiatives to ensure they effectively fulfill the needs of the audiences we serve. With our viewers, members and community in mind, we have made the decision to pause the production of the weekly roundtable debate program Ruckus.

KCPT will take some time to consider whether we might better use our station resources in support of another program, one that allows for differing opinions but maintains the standards expected of our organization.

The long and short of it is that they, KCPT, are dropping, have dropped their weekly "news" program "Ruckus."

I say again, this is fantastic. That is some great news right there. Obviously Right Wing, Republican host Mike Shanin and all his old, Right Wing, also Republican buddies like Woody "I'm a Fossil" Cozad were WAY out of line. KCPT viewers and supporters deserve far better.

The program frequently had a very Right Wing weighted--and bleached white--panel, time and again. And you would think the host would only be just that, the host, and not interject his opinions, again, in this case, very Right Wing opinions yet there he was, every week, spewing those Republican or Libertarian or whatever viewpoints. 

His counterpart on KCPT, Nick Haines, over at "Week in Review" always did and does just that--that is, kept his opinions to himself. He has also begun having regularly, dependably balanced guests, too, with, specifically, two white people, a Black or African-American and a Hispanic or LatinX guest, thereby giving full representation to the entire community.

I had written KCPT and asked them, a couple times, maybe a few, to make the programs more representative of the entire metropolitan area.  Naturally, I also wrote about this here on the blog. (Perhaps one of you two readers may have seen it).  I thought they could and would maybe tweak both programs so they were balanced and representative of more views. They did it with Mr. Haines' program, I noticed. Perhaps they tried to do the same with Mr. Shanin's program as well. And he wouldn't budge?  Only they, on the inside, know, I suppose.

It's a shame something couldn't have worked out that Mr. Shanin couldn't have stayed with and on the show, kept his very Right Wing opinions to himself and dependably had a truly representative panel on the show, from across the city, week after week but so it goes. Maybe they'll create a new program with a similar format, a new, much better, more responsible host and again, balanced, representative guests for each week's panel.

Anyway, yes sir and ma'am, great, great news! Thank you, KCPT! You did the right thing here! We look forward to your continued success and growth!

Links: 

Mo Rage: KCPT's Lily-White, Bleached-White "Ruckus"

Mo Rage: Clueless Mike Shanin, KCPT and "Ruckus"

Kudos, At Long Last, To KCPT, "Ruckus" and Mike Shanin

A Suggestion, Recommendation, Request for KCPT and Mike Shanin

Yes, a recommendation, suggestion, request for KCPT and Mike Shanin.

Could you please keep Mr. Shanin's very Right Wing, conservative, Republican views to himself?

It's not what we watch for.

We don't watch this newsweekly for the host's own personal political views. Not at all. That's what the guests are for. Leave it to also elderly, white and Right Wing, conservative Republican Woody Cozad or someone, anyone else.

If Mr. Shanin feels strongly enough he wants to give his opinion(s), let him, then, be a guest. It's not difficult. Otherwise, just host the show.

We, the viewers, including the sponsors, funders of the program, watch for someone to oversee the show. We don't want and God knows don't need to know what he thinks or likes or wants, especially when it comes to politics. 

His counterpart, Nick Haines, over on the also weekly news program "Week in Review" can do it. Mr. Shanin certainly should be able to, also.

Side note: a thanks and congratulations to Nick Haines, KCPT and his program for getting a token black person on this week's program. It seems KCPT may finally, finally be making that happen on both these newsweeklies. Occasionally it doesn't happen and it's all lily-white but I think that may have been because of this pandemic we're suffering through presently. Hopefully that's the case.

Of course, neither program still has a token Hispanic on either program so it's still 3 white people, 1 black and that's it but at least they've finally made this improvement.

Still waiting for the day when KCPT recognizes the Hispanic community in the area and on both these programs.

They take money from Dos Mundo but still no representation on the shows.

Pretty sad.

Shame On You, KCPT

This week's "Week In Review" was, once again, lily white.

The entire panel.

Not one "person of color" to discuss the city's issues, problems and opportunities.

Thank Goodness for KCPT's Lily White Weekly Talk Shows!

I saw a late edition of KCPT's "Week in Review" last night and as I said, thank goodness we have KCPT and their 2 very usually lily white and nearly completely all male talk shows, "Ruckus" and "Week in Review."

On last night's show, it was, yet one more time, all men--except one token woman--and all bleached white.

Ain't it great?

I mean, who else is going to tell us how things are? Who else should tell us how things should be?

Well, middle-aged and elderly white, largely Right Wing--at least on "Ruckus"--males, men, of course!

It's just the way it should be, isn't it?

Heck, on "Week in Review" they even imported the panel leader from England! How fantastic is that?

None of those pesky "people of color" or minorities!

Ain't nobody got time for that!

Besides, there was that one segment last evening toward the end of the show where they squeezed in a very brief story and mentioned now-deceased Royals player Yordana Ventura.

Who says they don't have minorities on KCPT's news programs?

KCPT's Again, Still Lily-White "Ruckus"

If you watched KCPT's and Mike Shanin's weekly news program "Ruckus" again this evening, once more, you would think that the Kansas City metropolitan area has not one "person of color" within its borders. Not one Black American, not one Hispanic, not one Asian, nothing. Zip, Nada.

Fortunately, they did have three women on their panel--again, very white--so there's something but the rest? White men, mostly old. All three of the men are clearly Right Wing being one Libertarian and the other two deeply Right Wing.

It really does seem as though no minority person's experience nor opinion matter either to this organization, the local PBS station, or to this city.

And once more, part of the panel discussion was about our just-passed November election. Clearly they think no person in this metropolitan area has any input worth giving to the voting and all its ramifications?

Is there not one person in this city that couldn't be included on this little, cozy club?

Really?

Their name does stand for Kansas City Public Broadcasting.  Right?

KCPT---Please!!

There are 2 shows I wish KCPT would create as a possible fund raiser for them and maybe even for the Nelson-Atkins Museum. They would be great for the city and the people interested in our history. The story of the Nelson-Atkins is one largely unknown to most Kansas Citians, both the long-time residents and the newcomers. It's a rich, wonderful story that becomes international quickly, when the associates left in the 30's, shortly after the museum was formed, to gain pieces for the gallery, as far as China. I've written about this before. The other story that would be a good one is that of Hare and Hare (later Ochsner, Hare and Hare) Landscape Architects and their work on everything in the city from Forest Hill Cemetery to the Country Club District to the Liberty Memorial, KU's and KSU's respective "master plans", Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the Harry S. Truman Library, Swope Park, the Nelson-Atkins Museum (again), Mission Hills and Loose Park, at minimum. These would be two fantastic stories lots of people in town would love to know. The Nelson could use it to boost both interest and, possibly, if done correctly, funds and donations. It would be fantastic for KCPT, to gain viewership and, again, possible donations. I see these two rich stories as nothing but a gain for KCPT, the Nelson Gallery, Kansas City and Kansas Citians. Here's hoping they happen and the sooner, the better. Links: www.ohhkc.com/, www.nelson-atkins.org/, www.kcpt.org

Calm, lucid and intelligent analysis of both sides of issues

It seems that PBS is one of the last bastions of what I describe above--calm, lucid and intelligent--truly "fair and ballanced"--reporting and information.

And with health care reform being prposed right now and debated nearly ad infinitum, it also seems true the we, as Americans, need good information sources on what's happening and being proposed.

With that in mind, I feel it important to get word out that the local PBS station, KCPT, is broadcasting a formal "Special Report on Health Care" this Thursday evening at 8:30 pm.

We all need to know what's going on, as I said.

I don't even think the average American knows how bad our current health care system is, really. This should be able to help.

Let's all have a good week.

Link: http://kcpt.org/