Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight
- Publication: The Tennessean
- Date: 1985-07-17
- Author: Diane Bartley
- Page: 1-D
- Language: English
"Dr. Who" fans put up a valiant fight Saturday night, but they were up against some stiff competition.
When you're faced with giving $as for an adventure, sci-fi TV series or to feed starving millions in Africa, the choice should be black and white.
WDCN-Channel 8 now admits their "Dr. Who" telethon wasn't on the best of nights, but Nashvillians apparently reached deep into their pockets to support both humanitarian and very personal causes.
"As soon as the Live Aid program went off at 10 p.m, we got a lot of calls," WDCN development director Elaine Kelsey said. "During the first pledge break after 10, we got $3,000."
From all reports, the massive Live Aid concert was a huge success nationwide—and from talk around town, plenty of Nashvillians had their eyes glued to the ABC or MTV coverage Saturday night. But it was also an important night for "Dr. Who" fans, who were faced with the dilemma of watching their favorite show being pulled from the air due to a lack of funding.
Channel 8 had hoped to raise more than $16,000—or about half of the $32,000 needed to buy the next 32 episodes of the BBC "Dr. Who" series. Although the telethon's on-air total now stands at only $14,300, the station is reportedly "optimistic" about Who's purchase.
Viewer interest was high—a fact which management weighs carefully. And Kelsey said the telethon was a great success, especially given the alternative programming.
"Because of Live Aid, we didn't pick up as many casual viewers as we would have liked," promotion director Andrew Davis said. But, he said, those fans who did respond were extremely enthusiastic.
Davis stops short of saying the Doctor will definitely continue on Channel 8, but said program director Gaylord Ayers and station general manager Robert Shepherd are now studying the situation. Their decision, in part, will depend on the number of pledges which actually reach the station in the next two weeks.
On or before July 30, Channel 8 must notify Lionheart distributors whether they will renew or cancel - their "Who" contract.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Bartley, Diane (1985-07-17). Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight. The Tennessean p. 1-D.
- MLA 7th ed.: Bartley, Diane. "Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight." The Tennessean [add city] 1985-07-17, 1-D. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Bartley, Diane. "Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight." The Tennessean, edition, sec., 1985-07-17
- Turabian: Bartley, Diane. "Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight." The Tennessean, 1985-07-17, section, 1-D edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_Fans_Put_Up_A_Fight | work=The Tennessean | pages=1-D | date=1985-07-17 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr. Who Fans Put Up A Fight | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_Fans_Put_Up_A_Fight | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025}}</ref>
