URGENT: BIG JOE POLKA SHOW NEWS
RadioEngineer
I just spoke to Big Joe, and he has asked me to inform all of you that
as of this moment next week's Big Joe Polka Show will be the last seen
on RFD-TV. There has been no contact with Joe on behalf of RFD-TV
since late November/early December, and that contact was abrupt. Mr.
Siedlik believes he and Polkas are "getting the big kiss-off".
He urges all who wish to see his program continued on RFD-TV to email
Patrick Gottsch IMMEDIATELY at: Pat...@rfdtv.com
Sincerely,
Radio Engineer
jrodg
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Radio Engineer
Sad..Let's all do it---for the good of the music
Pharmacy Consultant
An open letter to Mr. Patrick Gottsch, President and founder, RFD-TV
I became involved in the Big Joe posting situation in November,
primarily because many of my patients/friends/and customers are past
the age of 70, and are not internet savvy. I urge RFD-TV to to all
possible to help the Big Joe Polka Show succeed and thrive, as it is
an asset to them, period. Please, Mr.Gottsch, you possess the
ability to bring joy and pleasure to those who gave birth to us,
nurtured us, cared for us, educated and protected us, those who enjoy
and look forward each Wednesday to seeing Big Joe and his bands and
dancers. I service three area nursing facilities, and at 7PM each
Wednesday each facility becomes alive, if for only one hour. That's
all many of them have to look forward to, as they are largely
forgotten.
The best hope is for resolution, as the two primary complaints that I
hear from seniors today are:
1. Congress is going to cut Medicare and kill me.
and
2. Big Joe might be going off of the air.
It bothers me that people who sacrificed so much for us now have a
questionable future. They have even resorted to nervously joking about
which brands and flavors of cat and dog foods taste best. The
punchline is often: "well, at least I won't have to worry about
hairballs anymore!".
Mr.Gottsch, it is within your power to rectify some of this.
Stan Szczsponik
> He urges all who wish to see his program continued on RFD-TV to email
Seems to be a problem with the e-mail address
Final-Recipient: RFC822; Patr...@rfdtv.com
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Remote-MTA: DNS; mail.rfdtv.com
Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 Unknown user
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:57:57 -0500
jrodg
>
> - Show quoted text -
I hope, Don, that this "open letter" doesn't just appear on this
site,but that you send it to Mr. Gottsch himself ( Patrick@rfdtv) --
It's beautifully written and , I would think, would melt the heart of
any decision maker who actually has a heart.
As for everyone else: Please contact Mr. Gottsch: I was just asked
to speak to Big Joe Siedlik and he confirmed that the best thing any
of us could do now was to contact Mr. Gottsch and stress the
importance of the show to polka fans, to members of each ethnic group
whose polkas he carries ( Polish, German/Austiran/Swiss, Czech,
Slovenian, Croatian, Scandinavian,etc.) --It's the least we can all do
to keep the polka programming of every style on tv nationwide ---
Failure to do the minimum , writing a brief email to Mr. G, is really
tantamount to driving another nail ( and a big one) into polka music's
coffin, since the show is also seen and enjoyed by great numbers of
non-polka fans (google it to see all the evidence of this).
Most importantly, I think, every "polka organization," given all
their declarations of dedication to the music , would be truly
hypocritical and make a real mockery of its stated goals if it did not
urge RFDTV on behalf of all its members, and for the cause of polka
music in general, to keep this programming going. PAC has directors
and branches for the various styles: In addition to contacting the
network itself, they had darned well better reach out to the ethnic
communities and styles they serve to do the same, as should everyone
who has any contacts with these communities ( ethnic "national
congresses," individual clubs and organizations, etc. ). the other
polka organizations tend to limit their coverage to one ethnic style,
but, regardless, they should contact RFDTV and urge their members and
every org. they deal with to do the same.
To those who complain that the show doesn't feature their favorite
style enough, the sound isn't ideal ( I understand that severe
budgetary constrictions on BJ are responsible for that problem when it
occurs) , etc. , this issue goes far beyond those concerns: This is a
matter of survival for the ONLY NATIONAL EXPOSURE given polka music,
of every style, on a regular basis at a crucial time when everyone is
concerned for the survival of the genre, as well as for a show which
gives joy to countless thousands throughout the country, and
particularly , as Pharmacist Don said so well above, to countless
seniors, for whom it is often their only joy , the only light in their
lives , not only once but 2+ times every week. The least we can do ---
the least anyone can do who professes to support polkas--- is to speak
up for this programming: This doesn't even cost you money, or any
significant effort, to do -- and once again, anyone who can make this
minimal gesture and doesn't bother to do so is really letting the
music , and thousands who love and cherish it, down.
jrodg
>
> - Show quoted text -
Sorry: I gave an incomplete email address for RFDTV Pres. Gottsch
above: As others wrote above, its Pat...@rfdtv.com
jrodg
>
> - Show quoted text -
See if this works: PAT...@RFDTV.com ( Some tech glitch keeps
preventing the correct,complete email address from appearing ) ---If
this doesn't work, you can just google (bing , or whatever) RFDTV,
then click "contact" and a picture of Mr. Gottsch appears, together
with the complete email address you can click on to send him an email.
jrodg
> preventing the correct,complete email address from appearing ) ---If
> this doesn't work, you can just google (bing , or whatever) RFDTV,
> then click "contact" and a picture of Mr. Gottsch appears, together
>
> - Show quoted text -
Damn , it just doesn't work : Well, bit by bit, first its patrick,
and then add @rfdtv.com immediately to that name --- or else contact
him via his email address on the rfdtv site---------------------
RadioEngineer
Stan,
You'll have to complete a "human eye" no spam verification by clicking
on the incomplete email address.
Many thanks for your assistance!!
Thad
jrodg
> http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/108531/the-ted-tur...
Interesting, Thad : Halleluia ( thousand of polka fans will no
doubt agree ) : Despite all kinds of rumors , pressure and scares
( and appeals for support from Big Joe himself, relayed through me and
several others) , and despite the nasty rhetoric from Mr. Gottsch and
another strange "anonymous" poster, the show is on still on the air ,
and , with any luck , we won't have to go through this again ( until
next Christmas possibly : It turns out that Christmas renewal time is
sometimes a big problem in satellite cable : There's been a lot about
that in the news lately.
For many on this site, the best of the BJ Show is still to come;
namely,months worth of footage of the Buffalo tapings . We should just
urge everyone who can to support polka music by considering
subscribing to this unique program , which brings literally hundreds
of different polka bands and dozens of polka festivals from throughout
the country into America's homes several times per week , year in ,
year out. No, it's not perfect ---Nobody and no one on earth is---
There are some "bad" bands and performers on it (It's pretty much
"equal opportunity") , as well as , week for week, some of the best
the world has ever known, and everything in between --- but it's the
best there is on the nationwide scene, the best there ever has been,
and I suspect the best there ever will be. The least the field, polka
organizations , and anyone professing to support the cause of polka
music in the nationwide media can do is give it their moral support.
