January 2, 2012 8:03AM # PBS: Premium TV for Premium Viewers By [David Boaz](https://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz) --- SHARE The *New York Times* [reports](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/business/media/pbs-shifts-tactics-to-reach-wider-audience.html?hpw) today: > Around the time the first season of “Downton Abbey” had its premiere on the “Masterpiece” anthology series last January, PBS began taking a more strategic approach to programming. It has branded nights with clusters of shows about one subject — for example, the arts, science or the literary imports from “Masterpiece.” The anthology introduced younger and more male-skewing shows like “Sherlock,” a mystery series set in modern-day London that had its premiere in 2010, and a continuation of the popular British series “Upstairs, Downstairs.” > > > This fall, PBS embarked on a marketing blitz to promote Ken Burns’s “Prohibition” documentary miniseries, including a joint round-table discussion with Mr. Burns and the creators of HBO’s drama “Boardwalk Empire,” which takes place during the Prohibition era. > > > An aggressive promotional campaign helped “Downton Abbey” win six Emmy Awards, including best mini-series or movie, away from competitors on HBO and Starz. > > > “The thinking was that they had to up their game,” said Kliff Kuehl, president and chief executive of KCPT, a public television station in Kansas City, Mo. “That’s what we’ve evolved to — trying to give people that pay-TV moment.” So why not let people pay for it? Why are taxpayers paying for it? Let me say that I love “Downton Abbey” and would gladly pay $10 a month for a network that broadcast it — if I weren’t already paying for it on April 15. But maybe PBS is bringing “Downton Abbey” to people who can’t afford premium channels. Surely that’s the public-interest rationale for public broadcasting. But maybe not. The Times goes on to say that “prime-time hits like “Downton” and “Sherlock” … appeal largely to better-off viewers.” And advertisers — oops, program sponsors — know it: > Viking River Cruises has signed on as “Masterpiece’s” corporate sponsor, filling a five-year void that began when Exxon Mobil withdrew its support in 2004. Viking will send mailers to customers pegged to the “Downton Abbey” Season 2 premier. A corporate message will come on right after the show’s host, Laura Linney, introduces the program. “Our demographic is affluent baby boomers, 55-plus,” said Richard Marnell, Viking’s senior vice president of marketing. “We’d been looking for a broadcast partner that reaches that group.” PBS: your tax dollars at work, bringing upscale drama to [upscale viewers](https://www.cato.org/testimony/ct-db071105.html). ##### Related Tags [General](https://www.cato.org/general) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).