WMFE & PBS dishonesty

[KILARNEY06]

Maggie maybe we should start a mailing campaign to  have a SECTION 111 private meet and greet since they obviously screwed up and didn't give us the floor tickets that we expected to get.  Seriously though why not try?  Like someone said it is even on the CW site that pbs "backers"  get the prime tix.  Who do  we write to?

                                           Pat

[KILARNEY06]

Maggie you should go to the WMFE web site and read their Mission Statement and Core values. Especially the part about appreciation of donnors and how they hold us in high regard.

[<3 Lauren]

Kilarney... there is no possible way of a M&G no time money blah blah *kicks WFME* lol

<3 Lauren

[michael642]

I had a go around with KQED this past year if you guys havnt heard...

I started calling KQED mid-September of '06 to see if they had any plans of airing CW: ANJ and running the pledge drive for concert tickets. They said no, and that it may have been too soon to know! KQED is a San Francisco, Bay Area station, and aside from KTEH - San Jose, if they were to go anywhere else with the bay area, it would be through KQED!!! So I kept calling KQED, about once a week. Why? Because I wanted to be assured the best seats I could! I wanted to do all I could to get as close as I could. I called other stations too as I wanted to make more than 1 Cali show, as I have in the past. KTHE, KRCB, and KVIE at the end of August and early OCtober, those 3 stations had information. KVIE - Sacramento, KRCB - San Rafael, and KTEH - San Jose. But something told me KQED would come through! So I kept calling in, regardless of how irrated with me the ladies got...

Eventually a tour schedual was posted on the CW website! Low and behold a show for Oakland, CA - May 19 was schedualed,  tickets through KQED!!! I got really excited and called KQED, yet they still had no information available!!! This was about late November about now and I had still been calling in and calling in with no results. KQED said they didn't even know why CW said tickets would be through KQED. So I called the Paramount Theatre in Oakland and they too had absolutely no information. They didn't doubt the show was coming though. They said the contracts probably hadnt been receieved and to keep calling back! They were great, helpful, friendly people.

So I decided I would just forget about it, and if they became available on ticketmaster....great....but I decided to give KQED ONE last call....and no good luck. They still denied it.

So the next day I had a symphony concert that got over about 9:00 and I came home, turned on the TV to KQED just to see what was on. And before my eyes was CW: ANJ!!! I got sooooooooo furious at that moment. Pretty much 4 months of wasting my time and energy, and I was lied to! I waited for a commercial to see if there would be a pledge drive, and there it was! $250 for 2 tickets to see them in Oakland! I called up, furious, but excited, and pledged for my 2 tickets. THEN I wrote a nasty letter to every person I could at KQED and explained to them how I had spent 4 months trying to get this information and in return was lied to!

Shortly after the manager of membership, Ellen C. Bradley contacted me really sorry about the situation. She explained that the day before they aired CW:ANJ they were linked to a group of PBS stations that is in the bay area and they were all using ANJ for their pledge, so they were foreced to and that they originally had another show for the pledges.

As a result she assured me she would get me great seats, as close as possible. Tony Picallo (ALCAN1) called her thanking her for the kind way of dealing with my issue, and he told her all of his adventures, and she comped him 2 tickets to the show! WHich were sent to me, and Tony couldnt make it, so I had friends go.

Well eventually my tickets came and were 15 rows back I was really disappointed. Talking to others in the front, they all pledged to PBS. I talked to a couple, front row, who pledged  last minute....for 2 tickets....found 2 others that wanted to go also, pledged for 2 more tickets, and got front row...4 tickets.....

There is obviosuly nothing I can do except be upset. I am greatful for what KQED did but I am still not happy and upset.

[Coleen]

Sorry to hear about what happened to you folks who pledged in Orlando. 

It sounds like each PBS station has its own guidelines on how to run the pledges.  I  have no complaints regarding my local PBS station.  I pledged within the first 5 minutes of the first broadcast of CW ANJ on my local PBS station.  I received front row center seats.  I think my station was very fair about it.  I would pledge again to my local station in a heartbeat for CW tickets. 

[zankoku]

I went thru ticket masters for the Gammage May 2nd show and paid $45.00 Plus the fees totaling around $60.00. I chose my seat in the first balcony, front row a little to the side. As far as I am concerned, I had excellent seat as I was above the masses below me and no one was in front of me. Next time I will do the same thing and I did not buy on line but from a ticke master in Frys Food.

I had wondered about donating to PBS as I always thought why pay 4150 + for 1 seat when I could get the same thing a lot cheaper, of course I wouldn't get a M&G but hey, I had my own M&G. <g>

Jim

[CWFan2]

I've always bought my concert tickets, including all my Celtic Woman concert tickets, through TicketMaster, actually for years now and online and can thankfully say, I've never had a problem what-so-ever. I've wound up with some pretty good seats, over the years, including Ochestra Pit, Row A front and center, for many excellent concerts AND ... at a price far less than going through local PBS Stations. As far as I'm concerned, they are getting WAY too money for anything they are selling/offering. I'm not saying it's a terribly bad idea to support your local PBS Stations but ... I'm afraid I'm not going to pay them $150.00 for a DVD or any other such nonsense. But that's just me.

... Bill

[flags]

I've always bought my concert tickets, including all my Celtic Woman concert tickets, through TicketMaster, actually for years now and online and can thankfully say, I've never had a problem what-so-ever. I've wound up with some pretty good seats, over the years, including Ochestra Pit, Row A front and center, for many excellent concerts AND ... at a price far less than going through local PBS Stations. As far as I'm concerned, they are getting WAY too money for anything they are selling/offering. I'm not saying it's a terribly bad idea to support your local PBS Stations but ... I'm afraid I'm not going to pay them $150.00 for a DVD or any other such nonsense. But that's just me.

... Bill

Sometimes you really don't have a choice becuase in some areas PBS handles all the ticket sales for CW. You are correct though because I attend many concert and always purchase through ticketmaster when available. They do an excellent job, much better than PBS.

[flags]

Maggie maybe we should start a mailing campaign to  have a SECTION 111 private meet and greet since they obviously screwed up and didn't give us the floor tickets that we expected to get.  Seriously though why not try?  Like someone said it is even on the CW site that pbs "backers"  get the prime tix.  Who do  we write to?

                                           Pat

Start with your local newspaper and TV stations.

[KILARNEY06]

Well I'm 150 MILES + - from Orlando so I don't think I will be heard.I did send an E-mail to the pres. of the station. I'm sure by now he's making arrangements to relocate us (THE sec. 111 THIRTEEN) to seats on the stage to make up for this fouled up ticket distribution as well as dinner after the show. HA HA HA

[flags]

Well I'm 150 MILES + - from Orlando so I don't think I will be heard.I did send an E-mail to the pres. of the station. I'm sure by now he's making arrangements to relocate us (THE sec. 111 THIRTEEN) to seats on the stage to make up for this fouled up ticket distribution as well as dinner after the show. HA HA HA

Insist on dinner with the girls!

[KILARNEY06]

Flags, if I do get dinner with the girls should I bring my wife? lol

[OldFatGuy]

Folks, I'd respectfully submit that there's nothing we need to add here, and there's really nothing to be gained by further bashing of PBS.  I'm certainly not overjoyed with my seats at Orlando, but I'm alive and well, it's a beautiful day outside, and my boys and I are gonna have a blast at the concert.  Whether you love PBS or hate 'em, we probably wouldn't have CW without them.  That said, I think I'll just lock this thread so we can move on to more pleasant topics.