Pledges buy programs | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Re "Where does all the PBS pledge money go?" Forum, March 18):

Simply put, the money goes to purchase programming from PBS and other programming services. Securing national programs is the most expensive part of our service, but offerings such as "Downton Abbey," "NOVA," "Frontline," "Sherlock," and educational children's programs such as "Sesame Street" and "Peg + Cat" are the returns on that investment.

Some pledge programs are seen more than once because of their popularity with viewers and their effectiveness at raising funds for our entire broadcast schedule.

At KUED, we pride ourselves on being fiscally responsible. We do everything possible to ensure that we are spending every dollar in the most effective way to benefit our audience.

More than 44 percent of KUED's funding comes from private donations. Viewer support makes it possible for us to purchase the quality programming Utahns of all ages enjoy on KUED, to produce our award-winning local documentaries and to conduct important community activities and events.

We're proud of what we provide to the citizens of Utah thanks to the ongoing generosity of our viewers, who see their donations as a sound investment in this community.

James Morgese

General manager, KUED

Salt Lake City