Monday, March 1, 1999 | 11:40 a.m.
In a depressing sign, the Washington public television station that has produced the longest-running journalists' round-table program is dramatically overhauling the nation's premier public affairs show. A new executive at WETA has decided that "Washington Week in Review," which offers a thoughtful and reasoned discussion of national politics, no longer has a place in a world dominated by the viewing habits of the MTV generation.
So the station fired the respected moderator, Ken Bode, who also is dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, and executive producer Elizabeth Piersol. The Washington Post reported last week that Bode and Piersol were let go because the station wants the program to have more "edge," "attitude" and "opinion." In addition, the station wants more liberal and conservative opinions that will spark more argument. Just what the world needs, another knock-off of the loud and obnoxious "McLaughlin Group."
For 32 years, "Washington Week in Review" has set the standard for intelligent discussion of political issues on television. In recent years other round-table shows have come to resemble the "World Wrestling Federation." Sober analysis no longer is in vogue. Preferable is the ranting and raving that can be found on "McLaughlin Group" wannabes, such as CNN's "Crossfire" and the appropriately named "Capital Gang."
It's lamentable -- although understandable -- that commercial television stations must pay attention to ratings to keep viewers, but it's a shame that public television stations that once were thought to educate viewers now feel they need to "dumb-down" or sensationalize their programming to be successful.
Hopefully WETA will reconsider its decision and maintain its existing format. Maybe it won't have the fast-paced "MTV" delivery that television producers feel compelled to inject into programs, but then who really believes that intelligent political discussion can be discussed in 10-second sound bites?
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