PBS

[Bill]

Sorry to be political here, but PBS -- the folks that brought us Lightfoot Live in Reno is under a funding attack yet again. I wrote my state representatives...PBS is such an easy target when other issues cost more.

[Auburn Annie]

An editorial from the MERCURY NEWS:


Partisanship threatens popular programming

IF REPUBLICAN-LED HOUSE PANEL GETS ITS WAY, BIG BIRD MAY WANT TO START CHECKING CLASSIFIEDS


Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support public broadcasting. In huge numbers, they have ranked PBS as the most trusted source of news and public-affairs programming, and rated its overall content as superior to that of commercial broadcast and cable channels. PBS's educational shows are used by more teachers in the classroom than any other programs. And four in five Americans say funding for PBS is money well spent.

Yet the public-broadcasting system is under attack -- again. After surviving periodic onslaughts, its funding would be slashed nearly in half after a vote by Republicans in the House Appropriations Committee. And the White House-appointed chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been on a campaign to redress what he believes is a liberal bias at PBS and National Public Radio.

The full House, which is expected to begin debating funding for CPB and related programs today, should put the interests of the American people ahead of public broadcasting's political foes. It should restore full funding for public broadcasting and seek to insulate public radio and TV stations from partisan politics -- a mission that's in CPB's charter.

The proposed cuts would slash more than $100 million from CPB's $386 million budget. In addition, it would eliminate more than $100 million in other funds that help produce educational programs and support public broadcasting's technical infrastructure.

The cuts would be a serious blow for public broadcasting stations. Large stations such as KQED would survive without major cuts, at least initially. But smaller stations in poor and rural areas could face a financial crisis. Some could be forced to go dark, increasing the burden on the remaining stations to support a weakened PBS and NPR network.

The proposed cuts also would eliminate federal funding for the Ready to Learn program, which supports ``Sesame Street,'' ``Clifford the Big Red Dog'' and community literacy programs -- and benefits millions of American children.

That would force PBS stations such as San Jose's KTEH, which would lose $500,000 of its $7 million budget, to scramble to sustain not only its programming, but also its Ready to Learn activities. They include workshops that teach parents, caregivers and educators how to use media wisely and have put more than 6,000 books into the hands of Santa Clara County children. Similar programs at KQED and other stations also would be under financial strain.

Republicans on the committee have said the funding cuts are not the result of partisan politics, but rather painful choices in a tight budget year. With the political firestorm swirling around public broadcasting, that's hard to believe.

Public broadcasting costs each American less than $2 a year in federal funds. The quantity and quality of programming that Americans get in return makes it a bargain worth preserving.

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Sigh. If Republicans are cutting PBS funding because they're worried about the "hard realities of the deficit" they should look to how we got into such a hole; the biggest shovel is the 10 year tax cut that largely benefits them what has the most to begin with. There are certainly other places to look for revenue. The SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) otherwise known as Star Wars, begun 22 years ago, has cost $100 BILLION - and it hasn't worked yet. Most folks would say, pull the plug (Clinton tried) but no, onward we go.

All of which supports the founders' remarkable foresight in devising the separation of powers; too bad they didn't include a requirement that disallows any one party (take your pick) from having unilateral control of all three. Read Paul Krugman's column today (NY Times) "What's the matter with Ohio?" on Coingate.

Very discouraging.

This post belongs under small talk, though.

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

this should be in the small talk section.

[Auburn Annie]

Small hurrah! for a reprieve, until the next time. 87 Republicans with 196 Democrats rejected the proposed $100 million cut in PBS funding, so it's safe for now.