RIP NPR & PBS

[Frostbit]

So the news, especially the left such as CNN, has concerns the bill that passed the senate and is now headed to the house will be the end of broadcasting in far flung corners of the nation.

I find it interesting that the left, including Bok, has come on here and pointed out that public broadcasting only relies on minimal government funded.

Un-huh

[Newman]

They've said that about Planned Parenthood, too.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Let's not wander off into the abortion debate yet again.

I think PBS is a loss, but I also think it contributed to its own demise. When HRH was little, PBS was a great source of children's programming that wasn't weird and commercial enough to survive on for-profit channels. Blue's Clues, Wishbone, Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and locally-produced children's shows were far superior to what was available on Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and the broadcast channels, and they weren't constantly inundating the children with "Buy, buy, buy!" Not to mention they came with basic cable, which was all I could afford.

All they really had to do was present a broad range of viewpoints on the adult programming, if they were going to do news/current events. The cultural stuff, which you can't get elsewhere, is good for everyone. From Shakespeare to Vinnette Carroll, Kabuki to Cats, and every other spokeen, sung, and/or danced performance, good art is worthwhile regardless of the viewer's politics. When material like Kraft Theater and Playhouse 5 were no longer viable on commercial television (and why aren't they? I'd still have a TV if it provided that kind of thing), PBS could fill that gap.

By styling themselves the arbiters of acceptable public discourse, the management of PBS seems to have written their own obituary.

[Frostbit]

NPR's firing of the ONLY conservative journalist on the platform certainly didn't dispel their apparent bias in reporting.

[scott]

Let's not wander off into the abortion debate yet again.

I think PBS is a loss, but I also think it contributed to its own demise. When HRH was little, PBS was a great source of children's programming that wasn't weird and commercial enough to survive on for-profit channels. Blue's Clues, Wishbone, Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and locally-produced children's shows were far superior to what was available on Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and the broadcast channels, and they weren't constantly inundating the children with "Buy, buy, buy!" Not to mention they came with basic cable, which was all I could afford.

All they really had to do was present a broad range of viewpoints on the adult programming, if they were going to do news/current events. The cultural stuff, which you can't get elsewhere, is good for everyone. From Shakespeare to Vinnette Carroll, Kabuki to Cats, and every other spokeen, sung, and/or danced performance, good art is worthwhile regardless of the viewer's politics. When material like Kraft Theater and Playhouse 5 were no longer viable on commercial television (and why aren't they? I'd still have a TV if it provided that kind of thing), PBS could fill that gap.

By styling themselves the arbiters of acceptable public discourse, the management of PBS seems to have written their own obituary.

I think that wholesome children's' programming got squeezed out because of PBS. They had fat government subsidies and an entire scheme for the creators to make massive profits with literally no downside. That said, I agree with you. All PBS and CPB had to do was remain NEUTRAL, but, that wasn't their objective. They wanted to shape society, educate the downtrodden hayseed hicks, and pat themselves on the back about how civilized and intelligent they were.

[scott]

So the news, especially the left such as CNN, has concerns the bill that passed the senate and is now headed to the house will be the end of broadcasting in far flung corners of the nation.

I find it interesting that the left, including Bok, has come on here and pointed out that public broadcasting only relies on minimal government funded.

Un-huh

I agree, they always talked about how such a little percentage of funding came from the government and then when someone would say, "well then let's cut it," then the howls of canceling Big Bird and Kermit the Frog began.

[Newman]

Let's not wander off into the abortion debate yet again.

Not trying to go there, just pointing at another example of this "sour grapes" argument.

"The funding doesn't amount to much" / "Those grapes were probably sour"

A weak excuse as old as Aesop.

Sen. Kennedy has been having fun:

Sen. John Kennedy Outwits NPR Head Once Again After She Laughably Tries to Claim It’s ‘Non-Partisan’ – RedState

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etc.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Some people believe this crap. Honoria was shocked to learn that I enjoy classic country music. She stated as fact that country music glorifies spousal abuse. Say what???? I told her I got into it because our late mother (who, in Honoria's world, could do no wrong) enjoyed it (and always had - half of the sangs we as kids thought were rock'n'roll or pop were C&W). She just huffed and tried to turn the conversation to politics, which I decline to discuss with her.