Question 1. The sound on my TV doesn't match the picture being shown.
You may have accidentally activated the Second Audio Program, or SAP, feature on your TV set or VCR. The solution is easy. The SAP feature is turned on and off by the buttons on your TV set or VCR. If you have difficulties with your SAP feature, consult your owner's manual, contact the retail location where you purchased your TV, or contact the set manufacturer.
SAP allows NPT to provide a free, national service called Descriptive Video Service (DVS), which is helpful to the visually impaired. DVS provides narrated descriptions of key elements of programs such as actions, body language, and graphics, without interfering with the audio or dialogue.
Occasionally, second language services are provided. DVS is available on a number of popular public television programs. Many of the programs broadcast by NPT with DVS air during prime time on weekdays and at various times on Sundays. DVS programs are noted in Preview. In addition, SAP allows NPT to broadcast the Talking Library, a service of the Nashville Public Library. The Talking Library is on SAP Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central Time. Therefore, the sound you hear will not match the picture on your screen if the SAP feature on your set is activated.
For additional information about DVS, call 1-800-333-1203 or write to DVS at 125 Western Ave., MA 02134.
Question 2. Why did my favorite show go off the air?
Like all public television stations, NPT buys the rights to broadcast the programs you see on Channel 8. Except for our locally produced programs like Tennessee Crossroads and Volunteer Gardener, NPT does not own programs. When program rights expire, we cannot continue to broadcast those programs. In some cases, additional rights for the programs can be purchased, but in many cases additional rights are not available.
Question 3. My broadcast signal is poor.
Numerous factors affect the broadcast signal: weather, atmospheric conditions, your location, time of day, ground clutter, if you receive the signal through cable or over the air. Even the terrain in you area can alter the signal.
Terrain and Location - The topography in middle Tennessee is hilly, so if you live at the bottom of a valley behind a ridge, your signal could be blocked or you may find that your reception for one station is better than the other stations.
Cable - Several factors affect the cable signal. Disruptions of the cable signal can cause an interruption in the program you are watching. If you live within three miles of our transmitter you may be receiving two signals, the signal from the cable and the signal from our transmitter. If you experience this problem and you don't have a cable box, try the following solution: Run the cable through your VCR and use the VCR as your tuner. VCR's sometimes have better shielding than TV sets.
Question 4. How do I find Volunteer Gardener recipes?
With our new search feature, finding that recipe is easy. Simply type an ingredient or keyword in the search box, hit Search! and all the recipes containing that ingredient will appear. Searches may also be conducted by categories. Click on any category icon or type one of the category names - Soups, Salads, Breads, Condiments, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Desserts and Workshops in the search box and all the categories will appear. Make your selections from there, and enjoy.
Click www.wnpt.net/vg/recipes to access our recipe search feature.
Question 5. I'm annoyed by the pledge drives! Is there any other way for you to get the support you need?
Our on-air pledge drive is an effective and essential way to attract new members and raise needed funding. In the past years, the bulk of our support came from Metro Public Schools. Since becoming a community-licensed public television station, NPT relies less on government funding. Like most other public television stations nation-wide, individual member contributions have become one of our primary sources of funding, accounting for about a third of our budget. However, member support in Nashville lags behind the national average. In many communities, 1 in 10 viewers support their public television station. Here in middle Tennessee, it's 1 in 25.
We are working hard to earn your membership support so that we can continue to bring you the high-quality programs that you expect from NPT.
Question 6. Does the entire schedule need to be changed in order to show the fund drive specials? I don't like missing episodes of my favorite programs especially the Saturday night British comedies.
You aren't missing a single episode of your favorite programs. PBS schedules pledge drives and special pledge programming during March, August and December for their member stations. Almost all public television stations hold pledge drives during those months and air the programs that PBS is offering nationwide. During pledge, your friends in Orlando, Boston, and Los Angeles are seeing some of the same pledge programs that you see on NPT.
Unfortunately, when we ask for financial support in the course of our usual Saturday night schedule, or between weeknight programs in the regular schedule, invariably few viewers call to pledge. However, when we broadcast special programs such as musical concerts, many more call in to support NPT by becoming a member. Our on-air pledge drives contribute substantially to NPT's budget, allowing us to bring you your favorite programs throughout the year.
Question 7. Why are so many interesting shows on at three o'clock in the morning?
Between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. we air the PBS programming schedule. This schedule usually includes repeats of programs that aired during the primetime hours and gives people who work in the evenings, or who are up during the night, the opportunity to view these programs. It also gives people who watched other programs the opportunity to record the programs they missed.
Question 8. Why doesn't NPT ask for contributions around the regular schedule of programs?
We have tried this on numerous occasions, but it has not been nearly as successful as our fundraising programming. We attempted this most recently in our March 2005 campaign and the results were quite revealing. When we aired special fundraising programming, member contributions averaged $15,440 per weeknight. When asking for contributions around the regularly scheduled programs, pledges averaged just $1,480 per weeknight. Special fundraising programming brought in over 10 times the amount of member dollars in the same amount of time!
NPT is seeking to raise over $2,000,000 in member contributions this year and asking for contributions on air is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this goal. By airing special fundraising programming, we are able to raise needed funds without interrupting the normal schedule any more than is necessary.
