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More than 130 filmmakers sign an open letter denouncing PBS for its "over-reliance" on Ken Burns

posted 3 years ago by TMC-4 (19498)
3 replies | jump to latest

https://www.thewrap.com/pbs-ken-burns-bipoc-filmmakers-open-letter/

"A simple accounting from kenburns.com shows about 211 hours of programming on PBS spanning 40 years," reads the letter from BIPOC filmmakers addressed to PBS chief executive Paula Kerger. "This is reflected in 38 cumulative films, mini series and television series titles. Burns has 108 Director credits and 119 Executive Producer/Producer credits. As you know, PBS has an exclusive relationship with Burns until at least 2022, exclusive home video and audio visual rights to existing and new films through 2025, and the Amazon Prime channel boasts the entire catalogue of Burns’ films. How many other 'independent' filmmakers have a decades-long exclusive relationship with a publicly-funded entity? Public television supporting this level of uninvestigated privilege is troubling not just for us as filmmakers but as tax-paying Americans."

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

Not a fan of Burns but so what? He likely brings in the dollars others can't.

[–] TimMC (9143) 3 years ago

He's better than the Communists who run PBS.

[–] samoanjoes (52156) 3 years ago

Why are they complaining it affects "people of colour" when they are saying only one filmmaker has a monopoly on the station? Shouldn't it affect any filmmaker whose name isn't Ken Burns?