Dear TVW

I love you TV Washington, I truly do. C-Span for the Evergreen State political set, committee hearings at my fingers, and great public affairs programming.

Here's the thing. While I'm glad to see Inside Olympia and The Impact getting onto the public broadcasting stations around the state, since Dish and DirecTV don't carry TVW, a reality of new media is that if you're available through ITunes, you're not doing your job to max efficiency.

I get it--you think if it's on your website, that's enough. Trick is that ITunes will search out the program and let me know when a new episode is available in a way that your website doesn't, and that's a problem. Once it's in my ITunes player I can do quite a bit more with it, which may be a reason that you don't podcast the show, but it's a poor, poor reason.

For Washington's public affairs network to not be making the best use of the new media possibilities is unacceptable. Catch up, guys--you'll be better for it.

Your friend,

--Ryan--

Read more here, if any.

My Other Favorite Exchange from Inside Olympia

Sen. Zarelli: "Don't give medical care to illegals."

Rep. Hunter: "You're a moron. That will cost more money in the long run."

Sen. Zarelli: "At least I'm proposing ideas, like closing McNeil Island."

Austin Jenkins: "Should we close Larch Mountain, too?"

Sen. Zarelli: "NO! Also, Walla Walla sucks."

Austin Jenkins: "I think they actually send them to Coyote Ridge, which is new and efficient and awesome."

Sen. Zarelli: "Zip it, pinhead. I'm talking with my hands, which proves my sincerity."

Rep. Hunter: "I support closing everything in Sen. Zarelli's district. This seems fair, and wise."

Sen. Zarelli: "You almost lost an election to Mike the Mover."

Rep. Hunter: "Oh, go to hell."

Austin Jenkins: "Let's talk pensions."

Sen. Zarelli: "You work until 85, then we bill your family for you dying on the job."

Rep. Hunter: "Actually, that sounds about right."

Austin Jenkins: "And that's all the time we have for today. Tune in next week!"

Read more here, if any.

You Know What We Need? Some Complaining About TV Washington.

What's left of the Seattle PI has an article regarding the kerfuffle over Dow Constantine using some TV Washington photage in an attack ad against his opponent for King County Executive, Susan Hutchison. I lean toward agreeing with Goldy that this is clearly a case of fair use, and while TVW may not like it because of the impartiality they've striven to maintain, I don't think any of the blame can be laid at their feet for this.

My kvetches with TVW? #1 on the list is that I wish you could download video off their website for watching later. You can buy them from TVW at $25 a throw, but it would be a hell of a lot more convenient to have it sitting on ITunes waiting for me to watch it when I wanted to watch it. #2 is what I've mentioned before; I'd love to see TVW and Northwest Cable News both show up on my Dish Network channel listing.

That said, with the Quality Education Council on-air tomorrow, I'll be watching.

Read more here, if any.

Liv Finne Goes Looking for a Boogeyman, Finds the Same One She Always Does, Life Goes On

Liv, dear, if WEA President Mary Lindquist could ashcan the whole Race to the Top nonsense just by making one comment on TV Washington, then either the process itself is built on a foundation of quicksand, or we're not going to get the money and people (like, say, Liv Finne) are already looking to get the scapegoat lined up.

Liv's one of those happy hypocrites who I can't understand, the ones who'll pound the table saying that schools are amply funded, and then talk out the other side of their mouth about how we need to make wholesale changes so that we can please maybe get some of Obama's Dash to the Cash money. Note that money isn't guaranteed, and it isn't forever, but in Liv's world we need to start writing laws all the same.

Read more here, if any.