From: zinkin@acsu.buffalo.edu (David R Zinkin)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: ** SAVE THE FAITH DANIELS SHOW! **
Summary: NBC News wants to cancel it -- tell them "NO!"
Date: 27 Jan 93 22:28:49 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.tv
Organization: UB

SAVE THE FAITH DANIELS SHOW!

If you're a fan of the Faith Daniels show, then you already know that it's
one of NBC's only two daytime shows (the other is "Today") that dares to
make the assumption that its viewers have brains.  While the daytime game
shows ask mindless contestants equally mindless questions, and the soap
operas feature endless bed-hopping as a standard plot line, "Faith Daniels"
provides a forum for discussion of important issues.  Other talk shows try
to do this as well, but Faith makes her show stand out above the rest in
allowing every guest to state an opinion, in her ability to give her own
opinion without belittling her guests, and in not allowing her show to
degrade into a shouting match whenever a slightly controversial topic is
discussed.  Only Faith could go to Los Angeles and do two shows on the Rodney
King trial and the LA riots, feature one of the acquitted officers as one of
the guests for those two shows, and successfully keep both her audience and
her guests in line.  What could have turned into a riot in and of itself was
instead a (relatively) calm discussion of racism and police brutality.
But the LA riots were far from the only important topic discussed: a show on
autism (done while the show was still called "A Closer Look") featured a
young man who recovered from autism, giving new hope to families with autistic
children.  (That show served as a starting point for a discussion on autism
that I had with a group of students while I served as a teaching assistant
in psychology.)

It's true that some of the topics featured on "Faith Daniels" are less than
earth-shattering; loyal viewers might remember the "gadgets" show with NBC's
Al Roker or the "political humorists" show with impressionist Jim Morris and
Will Durst.  But on these shows, Faith always keeps a sense of humor and
makes it clear that the topic isn't to be treated with the same degree of
importance.

If you're already a Faith Daniels fan, I'm not telling you anything new.  If
you're not, check out the show as soon as you get a chance.  (It airs in most
markets at 9:00 am, 11:00 am or 12:30 pm on NBC.)  If for no other reason,
please watch the show to find out if you're in agreement with me that Faith
looks better in a skirt than Phil Donahue does.  (No offense to Donahue fans,
but facts are facts. :-)

But now you're probably asking, "Why would anyone type all this up and put
it in a message on the net?"  Well, the reason is that "Faith Daniels" is
perilously close to cancellation.  It appears that NBC News feels that its
money would be better spent in prime time (and we all know about its great
track record in prime-time newsmagazines, don't we? :-), leaving the future
of Faith's show in doubt.  If "Faith Daniels" leaves the air, NBC will most
likely replace it with another game show or soap opera.

If you want to show your support for Faith Daniels, or you'd simply like to
make it clear to NBC News that "The New All-Star Deluxe Super Scrabble" and
"Santa Barbara Meets The Days Of Our Lives In Another World" won't make
suitable substitutes for "Faith Daniels", please make your opinions known
to NBC News as soon as possible.

The person to contact is NBC News president Michael Gartner, who can be
reached by U.S. Mail or fax as follows.

U.S. Mail: Mr. Michael Gartner
           c/o NBC News
           30 Rockefeller Plaza
           New York, NY  10112
           
Fax: (212) 315-4037 (please be sure to put Mr. Gartner's name on it, as
     the number is apparently used for other people at NBC News as well!)
     
With the help of fellow USENETters, we can keep this quality show on the
air.  If it worked for "Quantum Leap", why not for Faith Daniels?

Thank you all in advance for your help and your cooperation!

 -- David Zinkin
    (zinkin@acsu.buffalo.edu)