To the editor:

I'm writing to correct several glaring errors in Sarah Howard's Oct. 13 column titled "Public TV rejects Green." First and perhaps most egregious, the appearance between U.S. Senator Herb Kohl and the republican challenger Robert Gerald Lorge did not air on Oct. 13, as Ms. Howard wrote, but a week before, on the Oct. 6 edition of "Here and Now." This error indicates she likely did not watch the program. In fact, the Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, Rae Vogeler, was scheduled to appear on the Oct. 13 edition of "Here and Now," and her campaign had confirmed her participation for that show as of Oct. 5, according to the show's producer, Andy Moore. Unfortunately, Ms. Vogeler cancelled her appearance on the Oct. 13 show on the morning of Oct. 13. The producer's intent was to give equal air time to all four candidates in the U.S. Senate race — Kohl, Lorge, Vogeler and independent candidate Ben Glatzel, who did appear on "Here and Now" Oct. 13, though Ms. Howard failed to mention him in her column. Perhaps before Ms. Howard scolds students and Wisconsin Public Television for not paying due attention to the U.S.

Senate race, she should seek the facts on the race herself. In addition to appearances on "Here and Now," WPT offers many outlets to hear statements from all the candidates in statewide races. Ms. Howard could watch "Candidate Statements," which airs Fridays at 9 p.m. In fact, it was the "Candidate Statements" program that was the topic of the press release Ms. Howard cites as promising "unfiltered, unedited and direct" statements from the candidates. Ms. Howard will be pleased to know that in addition to all the candidates from the races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and the congressional seats, all four candidates for U.S. Senate were given equal air time to address the public in an "unfiltered, unedited and direct manner" on an edition of "Candidate Statements" that aired Oct. 13. One final error that must be set straight is Ms. Howard's reference to a statement by WPT that the appearances were not debates because "the candidates are both filmed sitting." I assure you this preposterous statement was never generated by WPT, and in fact, Ms. Howard did not contact the "Here and Now" producer or the News and Public Affairs Executive Producer in any way regarding her opinion piece. Perhaps if she had, her column would not be so erroneous.

Sincerely,

Jamie Thomas
Production Assistant for Wisconsin Public Television's "Here and Now"
Junior majoring in journalism and Italian