Cutting The "Public" Out of Public Broadcasting

Image via WikipediaRight now, your local PBS station might be showing music specials for baby boomers and motivational talks  from self-help gurus instead of "Masterpiece Theater" or "Nova", punctuated by 15 minutes (or so) of nobody you'd know urging you to give up some of your hard-earned money to help pay for the channel you're watching.  That's right, folks.  It's pledge time once again.

This year, there's more urgency to the cause because of what Republicans in Congress are trying to do to public broadcasting in the name of paring down the federal deficit.  The GOP-led House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill that would eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and federal support for public media altogether.  The measure now goes to the Senate.

It's no secret that conservatives loathe public broadcasting.  It takes up too much of our precious tax dollars, they say.  The programs are too liberally-biased, and so on.  Instead, in a manner that would make Marie Antoinette proud, they would say "let them watch cable".

That's really not an option for people who are on limited budgets, or just don't want to pay for more channels in the first place.  PBS and NPR are for them bulwarks against biased news, reality shows, infomercials, limited playlists and right-wing talk shows on commercial stations owned by a few corporations.

Which isn't to say public broadcasting is perfect.  The informational shows are too dry.  Most documentaries are great cures for insomnia.  Those announcements for corporate underwriting sound an awful lot like commercials.  The Juan Williams thing could have been handled better.  Did we also mention pledge drives?  Is "Barney" still on the air?

Also, in some places, some public broadcasting outlets have become so powerful that smaller stations are literally gasping for air, not to mention donations.  If you live in Minnesota, you know what we're talikng about.

Love it or hate it, public broadcasting has become an indispensible part of our culture.  "Sesame Street" still teaches and entertains little kids after more than 40 years.  "Antiques Roadshow" has been popular enough to spawn imitators.  And NPR is really the only place where you can find in-depth news coverage on radio.

So, as you watch another salute to pop singers of the 1950s and old episodes of "The Lawrence Welk Show", ask yourself how and why we benefit from public broadcasting.  And also ask why there are people out there who are hellbent on taking it away.