Wayne Dyer, PBS and Editorial Standards
Joel Kaplan
April 25, 2012
Earlier this month PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler wrote a piece about Wayne Dyer, the renowned self-development guru who has authored more than 30 books.
Mr. Getler has received numerous complaints over the years from viewers who considered Mr. Dyer to be overtly religious and not keeping with public television's mission or standards. Mr. Dyer has been a mainstay of PBS' membership drives, where viewers can receive one of his books or videos with a hefty contribution. PBS has also distributed five shows featuring Mr. Dyer.
I do not need to repeat all elements of that column here. The key issue from Mr. Getler's point of view is whether Mr. Dyer's appearances on PBS violate the PBS policy that says it should provide a "nonsectarian, nonpolitical, noncommercial educational program service."
According to Mr. Getler, "The problem for me is only whether Dyer's presentations violate PBS's Editorial Standards and Policies. My sense is that they do. PBS feels strongly that they do not, and they have their say further down in this column." Mr. Getler then proceeds to detail viewer complaints about Mr. Dyer as well as the PBS response.
Usually I leave all issues and complaints about PBS programming to Mr. Getler as well as NPR programming to its ombudsman, Edward Schumacher-Matos.
But in this case, Aaron Pruitt, the director of content at Montana PBS, has asked me to weigh in because he is extremely concerned about the Wayne Dyer situation and the failure of PBS member stations to discuss this issue.
"While Mr. Getler seems to be getting some letters, I find it troubling, although not surprising, that within the public television chat groups for Programmers and Pledge/Development folks, there is absolutely no discussion of this issue, " Mr. Pruitt writes. " None. I have been working in public television now for nearly 18 years. The silence regarding this topic, in these otherwise lively discussion groups, is deafening. It is my opinion that PBS management, station programmers, and pledge professionals are hoping this blows over, and that they can go on merrily airing a program that makes huge money for the system. They do not want to talk about this subject.
"I have to believe that there are other GMs and public television professionals who agree that airing these Wayne Dyer programs violates our editorial standards. I think they are just afraid to speak up. It is my opinion that your voice is needed on this subject, even though you may disagree with my position. Whatever the case, nothing is going to change at PBS or in the PTV system without the one other independent editorial voice speaking up. It may not change even then, as there is so much at stake.
"Back in 2004, the program in question was Dyer's The Power of Intention based on his book 'The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way'. Of course the book was the principle pledge premium. The common argument from PBS and others was that the program was not an organized religion, even though it contained quotations from religious texts (the bible) and statements from Dyer that he 'knows who the creating source is' and 'believes that his message is from that source'. At one point Dyer promises 'a state of happiness, and that nothing can go wrong if you make a conscious choice to connect to this source energy'.
"After reviewing the program in 2004, I called around to programming colleagues at other PTV stations, and asked them how they were able to justify broadcasting the program. Some agreed that Dr. Dyer does proselytize, but not under a commonly known religious label, and the sheer popularity and fundraising potential of the Dyer show drives the decisions to schedule. I learned that many stations had turned their pledge schedule over almost entirely to the membership/development departments, and that the programming department is really not involved in the selection of pledge programs.
"One programmer admitted to me that he felt the station was adrift in terms of selecting programs that are consistent with our non-commercial educational mission. Another programmer explained that if they were not getting complaints, then they didn't really feel it was a problem since it is not a recognized religion or denomination, and it was not personally objectionable to them. Most of the programmers said they would not air this program outside of pledge.
"I was dismayed to hear these answers from programmers who in most cases had been with their station for many years. In general, they all admitted to me on the phone that due to economic and peer pressure they had ignored their editorial standards in allowing this program to air. I believe that if I called around to programmers today, I would get pretty much the same discouraging answers I got back in 2004.
"The argument that the Dyer programs do not promote an organized religion or belief system did not hold water with me back then, and even less so now. In fact, Dyer's belief system is so well organized that it now has many books of instruction, public television specials with superb national carriage, and a very-well known presenter/preacher with a huge, devout following.
"One only needs to read the preface from Dyer's book/pledge premium The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way to see that Dyer preaches a belief system based on a spiritual experience from the 'all-creating Source' which '...allowed these words and ideas to flow directly through me to you'. If the Church of Christ Scientist, or even Dr. Dobson, of Focus on the Family, produced a program based on a belief system that promised happiness and success in exactly the same format as the Dyer show, all of public television would justifiably reject it.
"Eight years on, and many Wayne Dyer specials later, I think it very unlikely that PBS or members stations will now turn their back on Dr. Dyer. He has raised huge amounts of money for public television (and himself).
"It is not my intention to damage the PBS system, or hurt my fellow stations. It is my hope we as a system can return to our long-standing editorial standards that viewers have every right to expect of us.
"I ask you to consider this issue and review Wayne Dyer's multiple PBS pledge specials. In the first 10 minutes of his most recent March pledge special entitled Wishes Fulfilled, he describes his program this way: 'This program is about teaching you to become the highest Consciousness Being you can be. To be aligned with your source, to be aligned with God, and when you are, you become a creator and a co-creator in your life.'
"PBS member stations pay annual dues to PBS for fundraising programs, including the Dyer specials, using a significant portion of their CPB provided CSGs (community service grants). I cannot believe that this is how Congress, CPB or the American People expect their investment to be spent."
Mr. Pruitt makes some excellent points in his email to me, one that I hope others at PBS pay attention to. However, while I was asked to weigh in here, this really is not a CPB issue.
First, CPB isn't in the content producing business. That is up to PBS, NPR and local member stations.
Second, as far as I could determine, CPB does not invest in pledge programming.
Finally, here are the relevant sections when it comes to Community Service Grant provisions:
SECTION 2. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
B. Broadcast Schedule:
1. The substantial majority of each station's daily total programming hours broadcast on all of its channels, including its primary and additional multicast channels, must be devoted to CPB-qualified programming, which is defined as general audience programming that serves demonstrated community needs of an educational, informational and cultural nature.
SECTION 3. USE OF GRANT FUNDS
B. Restrictions:
3. No CSG funds may be expended on the production, acquisition or distribution of programs, which do not qualify under CPB's Broadcast Schedule eligibility criterion (Section 2.B.). Such programs include any that further the principles of particular political or religious philosophies, or that are designed primarily for in-school or professional in-service audiences.
CPB views "substantial majority" to be greater than 75% of general audience programming, which excludes programming that advocates a particular political or religious philosophy.
So from the point of view of CPB, the use of Wayne Dyer in pledge drives or in special programming does not appear to violate any CPB rules or regulations.
Whether it violates PBS' editorial standards is what Mr. Getler addressed in his report along with his conclusion that it is his sense that they do.
I do hope that top PBS officials, as well as those running pledge drives throughout the country, will revisit this issue given the consternation it has caused both to a significant number of viewers and at least one local PBS executive.
