What, no internet?

Driving home from work Friday night, I noticed a telephone pole down across the street from my condo. It didn’t register much until I got home. Then, like a bolt of lighting, it hit me. The telephone service is out, which means no internet service for those of us still using dial-up. Yes, it’s true. I work in media and still use dial-up. Perhaps the impetus for change is getting closer now.

During the dark days of this particular weekend, I was without the internet. As an internet addict and Google junkie, this left me panic-stricken and trembling. Besides the four trips I took to Panera Bread to access the internet and a few “drive bys” at my sister’s house, I was woefully without internet access for three days.

But don’t fret, my friends. During the darkness I found slivers of light. Chores were accomplished, and I found time to tune into some cooking shows on MPT. In a previous post, I mentioned my love for Lidia Bastianich, host of the scrumptious PBS Italian cooking show Lidia’s Italy. I caught an episode of Lidia’s travels to a quaint Italian town known for its delectable coffee. The town was reminiscent of Venice, with welcoming outdoor cafés and romantic waterways.

On this particular episode, Lidia recreated the complicated coffee drinks at home. Coffee never looked so good and complex. Quite honestly, I’m a Dunkin Donuts girl; I like my coffee weak and fast. Lidia took her time preparing rich specialty drinks using several shiny contraptions in a sequence. Too complicated for me, but it was beautiful to watch. She makes it look effortless, but I know better.

Still without internet access, I treated myself to more, thinking that this could get pretty addictive. I also caught most of Julia Child: Lessons with Master Chefs. Surely you know Julia, the famous master chef with a love for rich French food. Butter and cream make frequent appearances in her dishes. What’s great about Julia is her interest in learning from other master chefs. She takes in something from each chef that accompanies her on the show and incorporates these tidbits into her own cooking. Julia is relaxed, yet classy and charming. She is elegant in speech, lively in attitude and comforting like a pair of fuzzy slippers on a cold day.

But it’s not all about the women and elegance. Listen up, guys, I saw a show that’s just for you, it involves three things you might be able to appreciate: meat, grilling and beer. If you tune into Barbeque University, hosted by Steven Raichlen, you will find a meat-lovers paradise. For the meat timid, like me, I had to squint a few times and look away from the screen, because this is the real deal. Whole sides of beef and enormous ribs are displayed like art and dangle in front of the camera for your viewing pleasure (or pain, as it may be). If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, surely beef is a man’s close companion. I have an appreciation for all food, even if it’s food I don’t eat. So for those carnivores, go for it, tune into Barbeque U. and get your grill on. This is the perfect show to get you ready for spring barbeques and claim your stake as grill king.

Eventually the phone line got fixed and I went back to Google, my pacifier and gateway to the world. But I realized a few things over the course of the weekend. Some I already knew.

1. I am addicted to Google (I already knew that.)
2. Raw meat and fish still freak me out (I knew that, too.)
3. I trust MPT to keep airing quality shows that expand my mind.

Perhaps next time I won’t wait until the phone lines are down to sit and take in a few good shows. Perhaps it’s also time to throw in the towel and get broadband.

Leslie Adler
Marketing Manager, Education Projects

'Deep depth'

When it comes to our roster of political analysts, we have “deep depth” (as Yogi Berra used to say). But we’re always looking for new angles and new combinations. The trick is to find guests who can offer both partisan spin and dispassionate analysis, and can also disagree without being disagreeable.

So we’re really excited that our production team has been able to line up Michael Steele and Parris Glendening to join us in a few days on Direct Connection.

Former Gov. Glendening was a two-term Democratic governor, the only non-lawyer I can recall serving in that office. Mr. Glendening had been a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, so he brings to the table both a theoretical and practical background in the art of politics.

Michael Steele used to be one of our regulars, debating local issues every few weeks on State Circle. That was before he became chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, then Maryland’s Lt. Governor, and now, as chairman of GOPAC, one of the most visible figures in national Republican politics.

Gov. Glendening and Lt. Gov Steele are scheduled to join us here at MPT on Monday March 24 at 7:30 p.m. for Direct Connection. We anticipate an interesting discussion, and, of course, welcome your calls and email at 1-800-926-0629 and directconnection@mpt.org.

Jeff Salkin

Host, Direct Connection

PBS does reality TV!

PBS has finally jumped on the reality television bandwagon, except—unlike some of the more, errr, dubious reality TV shows gracing the airwaves these days—it’s really, really good.

The new series is called Carrier (airing April 27th-May 1st), and it chronicles the ins and outs of daily life in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. The show follows a core cast of real-life characters aboard the USS Nimitz—a whopping hulk of ship (a floating city, really) that’s 24 stories high and three football fields long that carries more than 5,000 Navy personnel and 85 military aircraft.

Filmed from May to November 2005, nearly 2,000 hours of high-definition video were captured for Carrier during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf (three months of which were spent in combat in support of the ground troops). For the first time, a television series takes a raw and personal look at the Navy’s role in this controversial war.

Get a sneak peek of Carrier Wednesday, March 19 (tomorrow!) at 10 p.m. on MPT. In the meantime, whet your appetite with the clip below.

We test 'em: digital converter boxes

(Above: A digital converter box in MPT's break room. Easy to install! And kinda cute!)

In less than a year, we’ll be saying goodbye to analog TV. But you don’t have to buy a new set to continue watching free, over-the-air television.

I’ve been doing some research that I’d like to share with you. My $40 coupons towards the price of a digital converter box have arrived. They look just like credit cards complete with an expiration date, which is approximately 90 days from the date you receive the card. With the card comes a list of merchants in your area who have the decoders along with “rules” for using the card. In this area, converter boxes are now available at Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack and Wal-Mart.

Best Buy is selling the Insignia NS-DXA1 converter box; Circuit City and Radio Shack are selling the Zenith DTT900. The Insignia and Zenith boxes, manufactured by LG are the identical (except for the logos) with a retail price is $59.99. Wal-Mart is selling the Magnavox TB100MW9 for $49.87.

Is there a $10.12 difference? In my opinion, there is. The Magnavox decoder does not include audio and video cables and you cannot change channel without the remote. The Magnavox remote is not user friendly and doesn’t have the ability to mute or control the volume level on your TV where as Insignia/Zenith/LG come with full function remotes.

In my test, all the boxes were able to acquire the same digital signals. Setup is easy; each box has a built-in tutorial or an 800 number to call for assistance. Antenna placement may be critical for an acceptable signal, but when done correctly, the digital picture is crystal clear.

Go buy a converter box now and start enjoying digital television on your old analog set. It’s easier than you think!

George Beneman
VP Technology

Yes, we rock.

Yeah, yeah, we know what you’re thinking. Public television rocks? MPT rocks? My grandmother watches MPT.

Yes, while we do admit to being popular with grandmothers throughout Maryland, Washington, DC, northern Virginia and parts of Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, we are also popular with area rockers, music fans and people who just like it loud. Case in point: Kasabian. The British rockers made a special appearance on MPT’s weekly arts show ArtWorks This Week a few months back. In case you missed it, we’ve posted the video (which includes live footage shot at DC’s 9:30 Club) on our new YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/user/MarylandPublicTV). Proof that we do, in fact, rock. Enjoy.

Budget mysteries revealed!

As you may or may not know, MPT gets about one third of its budget from the state. Each year, we go through a lengthy process to prepare and present our budget to the Maryland General Assembly. But what really goes on in Annapolis when it comes to the budget of your favorite public television station? As MPT’s Chief Operating Officer, I’d thought I’d step in and shed some light on a somewhat mysterious—and yes, at some times, confusing!—process

The Maryland General Assembly is in session from January to April of each year. This is when new legislation is discussed and may become law. It's also the time of year that the legislature reviews the overall state budget. Maryland is a bit different from most states in that the legislature can only cut from the budget submitted by the governor. This means nothing can be added, so you really need to make sure that all your needs are met in the budget submitted by the governor.

The process really begins for MPT in August when we submit our budget to the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM). In general, state agencies are asked to submit no more than a certain dollar figure (generally last year’s budget amount) and anything above that needs to go into an “over the target” request. Over a several month period, the budget request is reviewed by DBM and the agency is asked to respond to questions and concerns. In the fall, the DBM analyst makes his or her recommendations. The agency will then respond to the recommendations. The final budget is included as part of the overall state budget submitted to the legislature for approval in December or early January.

At this point, the legislative budget analyst reviews the agency’s budget and looks for places to cut. A few days before the budget hearing, the agency will receive the analyst’s recommendations and will respond directly to the committee hearing their budget.

MPT management generally tries to meet with the members of our budget committees (both the House and the Senate) prior to the hearings. The purpose of these meetings is to insure that each committee member understands the value that MPT brings to the citizens of Maryland. Once this series of meetings is complete, it’s time to attend the actual hearings. These hearings are open to the public, and MPT management is called to testify. The hearings can be long with much discussion depending upon the agency and the issues they face. (This year our hearing in the Senate was very short. This was due in some part to the fact that the analyst recommended no cuts to our budget.) We then repeat the process in the House. If there are issues then we would also attend a “decision hearing” in both the House and Senate.

As I mentioned earlier, MPT receives about one third of its budget from the state. We raise the rest of our budget on our own from members and underwriters and a variety of other sources. We are proud to be a state agency and appreciate the support provided by the state. MPT is ranked within the top ten public television stations in the country, thanks not only to state funding, but the generous support of public television fans like you.

Larry Unger
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer