War Takes Toll on ‘MacNeil/Lehrer’ Budget

Covering the events in the Persian Gulf has pushed public television’s major news program, “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour,” $1.5 million over budget, the producers report.

“It’s really blown a hole in our bow,” said executive producer Al Vecchione. “It’s been tough to keep up with.”

Since Iraq invaded Kuwait last August, “MacNeil/Lehrer” has spent about $35,000 over budget per week to cover the story. That does not include the cost of extending the length of the program and adding weekend editions.

Through an emergency infusion from PBS and additional funding from two of its underwriters, the program has managed to replace $1.2 million of the overrun, but producers estimate that it will take another $500,000 to carry them through the end of March.

“The amount of money we’re talking about is on a scale much smaller than (what is required by) ABC or NBC or CNN, but it has an enormous impact on us,” Vecchione said. The program’s annual budget is about $23 million, he said.

“MacNeil/Lehrer,” which is co-produced by public-television stations WNET in New York and WETA in Washington and MacNeil-Lehrer Productions, has sent six people to the Persian Gulf and has been broadcasting regularly on Saturdays.

Since the crisis in the Gulf erupted into war, the program’s weekday ratings are up 35% in 25 markets tracked by the A. C. Nielsen Co. Of all of the households watching television during the program’s nightly time slot, about 4% tuned into “MacNeil/Lehrer” in January, up from 3% in December.

The Public Broadcasting Service has provided $1 million toward covering the “MacNeil/Lehrer” deficit.

“It was our feeling that during a crisis like this, we needed some ongoing news presence,” said John Grant, PBS vice president of scheduling and administration. About half of the PBS grant is earmarked for special programs, such as the Saturday editions, which PBS programming chief Jennifier Lawson said Tuesday will continue at least through March.

But Lawson said that she isn’t certain how long the extra support can continue, saying “We’re mortgaging the future” of other programming to help “MacNeil/Lehrer.”

Without that support, plus emergency funds from other sources, the program may have to pull the plug on its expanded coverage, said Vecchione.

“I hope to God it will not come to that,” Vecchione said. “I’m hoping that one way or another we’ll pull that rabbit out of the hat before the end of March.”

Times Staff Writer Jane Hall contributed to this story.