PBS battle: Republican plan to cut funding could shoot down Big Bird

[Judi Lynn]

Sunday October 16, 2005

PBS battle: Republican plan to cut funding could shoot down Big Bird
BY JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star

Imagine public television programming in Nebraska without "Masterpiece Theatre." Or "Frontline." Or "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." Or even "Sesame Street."

Rod Bates can't — but he said the scenario isn't so far-fetched, especially if federal funding is eliminated from the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications budget.

"The federal funds by and large pretty much pay for all the PBS programming," the NET general manager said. "In a simple way, all PBS programming would go away. If all PBS programming goes away, we would have a serious problem because it's the bulk of our schedule."
(snip)

Three weeks ago, a group of more than 100 conservative House Republicans proposed $500 billion in spending cuts to offset the cost of rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Among their suggestions was eliminating $400 million to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the agency that funnels money to PBS, NPR and other public broadcasters.
(snip/...)

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/10/16/sunday_am/doc434ed4f533a0c935335896.txt

[Voltaire99]

1. Time to let PBS go.

With the CPB board increasingly under the sway of right wingers, PBS has become another tool of Bushism.

No one sees a Democratic Party capable of standing up to this cultural onslaught, neither today nor tomorrow.

So why continue to pump money into this thing? Let it die; we have our fond memories, but they belong to another day.

[WildClarySage]

3. Never! They can have my PBS when they pry it from my cold dead hands

This group of pigs can't stay in power forever. PBS can withstand them.

[cornermouse]

5. No. It is not time to let PBS go away.

There are still good shows on PBS and on a related thought, I get a grand total of 2 radio stations at work. One is NPR, the other is C/W which boasts of possession of FOX news. The difference is striking. Typically, NPR will be talking about the latest news in D.C., Iraq, and anywhere else news is happening, while FOX is usually still stuck in the past putting out yesterday's news and puff pieces for Bush.

[Voltaire99]

9. "NPR will be talking about the latest news in D.C., Iraq,..."

Yes, it did a fine job of talking up the need for war in Iraq. Besides mouthing every lie from the Bush administration, NPR prominently featured Judith Miller and her all-WMDs, all-the-time blather.

No, this is no news--it's pablum from on high.

The Snooze Hour on PBS is particularly good at aping whatever the establishment wants you to believe. Vanilla news for vanilla minds. Bleh.

Really, all of you defending these lame, sold-out institutions--try reading news not predigested for you. And stop clinging to the past; that shit is ovah, gentle peeps.

[cornermouse]

10. You're wrong.

And its clear from your post that you'll never agree so I hope you don't mind if I refuse to waste any more time trying to persuade you otherwise. We're just going to disagree on this.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Wow, that's an incredibly defeatist attittude

Why even get out of bed in the morning? Or just lie down in the middle of the street because there's absolutely nothing you could ever do about it.

[CBHagman]

12. You're assuming a lot.

"Let it die; we have our fond memories, but they belong to another day."

What do you mean "we," Kemo Sabe? What about all the parents, educators, and patrons who want PBS to be there for the next generation and the one after that?


"No one sees a Democratic Party capable of standing up to this cultural onslaught, neither today nor tomorrow."

Nonsense. You're presuming to speak for everyone and predict the future. That's pure folly, if you know anything at all about history.

[sandnsea]

20. I know, you're that Sprint CEO!!!

Stick it to the man, stick it to the man..

But sir, you ARE the man, wouldn't you be sticking it to yourself...

er, oh, ....

Geez Voltaire, ever heard of the saying cutting off your nose to spite your face?

[Tesha]

21. Both NPR and PBS are long gone; they're pure shills these days.

It's a shame good progressives stills support them.

Tesha

[preciousdove]

2. For a lot of children PBS is the only glimpse at a better life...

Toddlers don't have internet access. There are still hundreds of thousands of latch-key children or with parents who are not there for them in any meaningful way.

Giving up on PBS today seems like giving up we can ever pull out of the mess we are in and it would be easier to shift the focus back than to start from scratch.

As long as they allow the children's programming we have to at least try to save it for them.

[phylny]

4. Not only that, but the program content on Sesame Street is perfectly

in sync with Kindergarten curriculum. For children who don't go to Head Start or preschool, it's invaluable.

I used to spend a lot of time working in Kindergarten classes for my job, and on a consistent basis, I'd think, "Oh, they did THAT on Sesame Street, too!" as new concepts were brought forth.

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

[LeighAnn]

11. Have you seen Sesame Street lately?

They've dumbed it down to the point that I don't feel it's a very educational program anymore. The song you mentioned as well as other favorites like "People in the Neighborhood" and such have gone by the wayside to make room for the monotonous "Journey to Ernie" etc. Bunch of garbage that hardly passes for educational television.

[phylny]

17. To be honest, no I haven't.

My children are all teens now, so I was watching from 1986 to 1994 or so.

I'm sorry to hear that it's not the show it once was.

[LeighAnn]

19. It's gone through a total revamp

I remember a couple of years ago reading an article about how Sesame Street had a new production team, and the show would now be "geared towards 2-year olds, instead of 3-4 year olds". They succeeded, and completely ruined a kids show that I've watched for sport since I was 3 years old :(
I buy old Sesame Street videos from the '80s from garage sales and pawn shops whenever I see them for my nieces and nephews to watch when they come over. The difference between Sesame Street then and now is like night and day
:(

[Bridget Burke]

16. And I've heard that some kids don't have cable.

Not even the basic package--much less digital cable, which carries the really educational shows & most kids' programming.

Time to re-activate my membership. With a strong letter, urging them to fight the RW'ers.

[Tesha]

22. Unfortunately, they *ARE* the RWers; they won't fight themselves.

> With a strong letter, urging them to fight the RW'ers.

Unfortunately, they *ARE* the RWers; they won't fight themselves.
Let us know if you even get the courtesy of a personal answer.

Tesha

[izzie]

6. Sort of a shame to see it go as they really do well in the back ----

country. Small towns and cities use this program as do small schools or so I have read. Most modern countries help their arts but they really do not seem to like to do it in this country. So much of our art came from the aid in the depression years. Any thing that is even near up to date or new is a thing that must go to the Right.People with minds that are shut are very interesting.

[Laelth]

8. It has long been a goal of the reich wing ...

... to destroy public television. They don't like it because they can't control it. They control the free market media through threats to remove revenue (ad dollars) if those stations don't tow the corporatist line. This strategy doesn't work with PBS. Needless to say, Katrina is just an excuse to do what they've wanted to do all along. The $500 million we might save is but a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $200 billion reconstruction cost.

Transparent. Slimy. Typical.

-Laelth

[struggle4progress]

13. What to watch Monday (USAT)

As the 2004 presidential election proved, Vietnam remains an intensely divisive issue, a division those too young to remember the war probably are at a loss to understand. It may help them get a grip on the conflicts the war engendered if they watch the American Experience documentary Looking Back: Two Days in October (PBS, 9 p.m. ET/PT, times may vary). Days covers two pivotal 1967 events that it says shaped America's perception of the war: a jungle ambush that nearly wiped out a U.S. battalion and a campus protest that turned violent — the first of many such protests to come. <snip>

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/criticscorner/2005-10-16-critics-corner_x.htm

[Uncle Joe]

14. I believe Frontline will air a show regarding torture this week. n/t

[0rganism]

15. I can just imagine the campaign ads that come out of this one

Big Bird's head on the chopping block, with prominent Nebraska repukes holding axes.

So far, Sesame Street has been a third rail of broadcast politics. You just don't fuck with Sesame Street.

[KamaAina]

18. On behalf of all Gulf Coast residents past and present,

15 years past in my case, but who's counting?:

a group of more than 100 conservative House Republicans proposed $500 billion in spending cuts to offset the cost of rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

We bitterly resent the bullheaded atempts by repukes to exploit this tragedy to ram through draconian budget cuts they wanted anyway but couldn't sell to Congress! Why don't they sacrifice their precious tax cuts for their ultra-wealthy country club buddies? I guess "sacrifice" is just for the rest of us poor suckers... :grr:

We're mad as hell, and we're not gonna take it anymore!