Everyone expected House Republicans to give up efforts to kill NPR and PBS after a massive public outcry stopped them last year. But they've just voted to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS -- unbelievably, starting with programs like "Sesame Street."
Public broadcasting would lose nearly a quarter of its federal funding this year. Even worse, all funding would be eliminated in two years--threatening one of the last remaining sources of watchdog journalism.
Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS again this year:
Last year, millions of us took action to save NPR and PBS, and Congress listened. We can do it again if enough of us sign the petition in time.
This would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting. The Boston Globe reports the cuts "could force the elimination of some popular PBS and NPR programs." NPR's president expects rural public radio stations may be forced to shut down.
The House and Senate are deciding if public broadcasting will survive, and they need to hear from viewers like you. Sign the petition at:
I read an article awhile back in Vanity Fair of all places about how NPR and PBS are not only not liberally biased, but are in fact one of the only fair, honest, non-sensationalized sources of news and information available. They are calm and allow people to express their views on matters fairly without interuption or degredation. They are some of the only actually educational outlets left and they should be protected and funded as the property of the general public.
this may be a case of majority wins...someone is just gonna argue why some of the federal funds are being spent on something the general public may not watch or listen to at all...
plus, the concept of the government funding a television station or a radio station may be problematic...does the government have influence on the programming then?...
the way to go may be to go private...sell even more advertisement spots...pbs does that now anyways...with the pledge drives...you are, when making a donation, buying the programs or the videos or cassette tapes that they send to you...
i use to watch sesame street (my favorite was when they show the pinball animation teaching you about numbers and they have some funk music in the background)...now i like the shows frontline, all their cooking shows, Nature, Nova...and i'll watch some advertisement periodically in exchange to see these shows for free
it's not the fact that you'd have to watch the advertising, but that it is essentially free from corporate influence.. if there are no advertisers they are more free from pressure from their sponsors. and the corporation for public broadcasting was set up as an independent government agency or something, i believe, to remove it from political influence. if their was political influence right now with republicans controlling all branches of government, their claim that it is liberal would be ludicras (which i still can't spell) rather than just dishonest. there is a difference between public funding and government control, i think.
i don't think PBS/NPR are in any serious danger. this is just one of many horses the GOP trots out anytime they want to do a little pandering to their base without having to take any real action. now the republican congresspeople can go home and say they tried to cut spending on a "frivilous" program and blame the "tax & spend liberals" for standing in their way. i don't know how, but there are still some people out there oblivious enough to eat that stuff up.
Help Save PBS/NPR
Everyone expected House Republicans to give up efforts to kill NPR and PBS after a massive public outcry stopped them last year. But they've just voted to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS -- unbelievably, starting with programs like "Sesame Street."
Public broadcasting would lose nearly a quarter of its federal funding this year. Even worse, all funding would be eliminated in two years--threatening one of the last remaining sources of watchdog journalism.
Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS again this year:
sesame street needs your help
Last year, millions of us took action to save NPR and PBS, and Congress listened. We can do it again if enough of us sign the petition in time.
This would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting. The Boston Globe reports the cuts "could force the elimination of some popular PBS and NPR programs." NPR's president expects rural public radio stations may be forced to shut down.
The House and Senate are deciding if public broadcasting will survive, and they need to hear from viewers like you. Sign the petition at:
sesame street needs your help
Thanks!
P.S. Read the Boston Globe story on the threat to NPR and PBS at:
link
I read an article awhile back in Vanity Fair of all places about how NPR and PBS are not only not liberally biased, but are in fact one of the only fair, honest, non-sensationalized sources of news and information available. They are calm and allow people to express their views on matters fairly without interuption or degredation. They are some of the only actually educational outlets left and they should be protected and funded as the property of the general public.
this may be a case of majority wins...someone is just gonna argue why some of the federal funds are being spent on something the general public may not watch or listen to at all...
plus, the concept of the government funding a television station or a radio station may be problematic...does the government have influence on the programming then?...
the way to go may be to go private...sell even more advertisement spots...pbs does that now anyways...with the pledge drives...you are, when making a donation, buying the programs or the videos or cassette tapes that they send to you...
i use to watch sesame street (my favorite was when they show the pinball animation teaching you about numbers and they have some funk music in the background)...now i like the shows frontline, all their cooking shows, Nature, Nova...and i'll watch some advertisement periodically in exchange to see these shows for free
it's not the fact that you'd have to watch the advertising, but that it is essentially free from corporate influence.. if there are no advertisers they are more free from pressure from their sponsors. and the corporation for public broadcasting was set up as an independent government agency or something, i believe, to remove it from political influence. if their was political influence right now with republicans controlling all branches of government, their claim that it is liberal would be ludicras (which i still can't spell) rather than just dishonest. there is a difference between public funding and government control, i think.
i don't think PBS/NPR are in any serious danger. this is just one of many horses the GOP trots out anytime they want to do a little pandering to their base without having to take any real action. now the republican congresspeople can go home and say they tried to cut spending on a "frivilous" program and blame the "tax & spend liberals" for standing in their way. i don't know how, but there are still some people out there oblivious enough to eat that stuff up.
Save PBR - Pabst Blue Ribbon.
didn't ernie die? or was it bert...
it was mr. hooper... and david, but no one talks about that. shh.
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