Tuesday, March 13, 2012

EastEnders Pledge Night on WLIW: Wednesday March 14, 2012

Now is the time for all good Easties to come to the aid of your favorite PBS station:

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, March 14 is the night in New York: It is EastEnders Pledge Night on WLIW! It is time to do your patriotic duty as EastEnders fans and support another year of EastEnders on WLIW with a pledge. And please take note of the one-night only schedule change:

Schedule Alert: For pledge night, EastEnders will begin a half-hour early, at 9:30PM, and go to 11PM. Adjust your miscellaneous recording devices accordingly.

But you do not have to wait until tomorrow night to pledge. You can pledge right now, online, at WLIW's website (using the link below).

Just like during last year's special drive, WLIW has created a dedicated EastEnders pledge page on their website to make it easier for Easties to pledge. The link below takes you directly to the EastEnders Pledge Page:


This dedicated EastEnders pledge page allows you to pledge any amount, at any time, and have it count towards EastEnders.

Why should you pledge? Because where else but WLIW is the story of EastEnders in the US possible? WLIW picked up EastEnders when no one else would, and they have stuck with us EastEnders fans through thick and thin (even through those years when their well meaning efforts were met with mostly cultivated animosity). All across the country there were stations where, when when pledges dropped off, the show was cancelled. But here in New York, WLIW has , twice, given fans the opportunity to save the show. And they have always kept to their word. WLIW never forgets about the 'public' in Public Broadcasting. That's YOU! In the last seven years we, EastEnders fans & WLIW, have built a great team: We have worked together to make EasEnders the little show that could. If you're not already a part of that team, please join now! And if you're already a part of it, thank you for your past support and please join again for 2012!

The relationship between WLIW and EastEnders fans is the very definition of Public Broadcasting, and I think that is worthy of all our support!

It is important to note that the last time we had a regular Pledge Night here in New York (December 2010), it was not successful. That is why we had to do that special EastEnders Pledge Drive last February to make up for the balance needed for another year of EastEnders. That came bout because Laura Savini saw that pledges fell short, and because we work with the station, she knew that sometimes Easties need a little extra attention, so she contacted me to ask, 'Do you think you can mobilize your people to raise the balance needed?' We worked together and you responded and that fund drive was wildly successful. But we are hoping that we won't have to organize that kind of special fund drive again - that all EastEnders fans will respond to this WLIW drive so that won't be necessary.

Remember you do not have to wait til pledge night: The EastEnders drive starts now. We all know that things are tough for a lot of people right now, so just give what you can. And know that any and every amount is greatly appreciated!

If any of you have any questions, just email me here at the Launderette to ask. You have your marching orders Easties: Get pledging! Please go to the link above and make your pledge now, or call in to the phone bank during pledge night tomorrow night. Either way, your pledge matters!

THANK YOU!!!