So, it looks like the GOP is finally going to kill PBS / NPR ...

[pyramid]

It looks like they want it to be a party mouthpiece or not exist at all. Apparently it's just too expensive to pay for public broacasting when you go around fucking shit up so bad that you just lose 9 billion dollars at a time. Just when you thought they couldn't sink any lower the asshats that are always going on about decency and morals are going to kill the best childrens programming and non-violent tv on tv and some of the best radio on radio. It may cost money but at least it produces something positive and worth while which is more than they can say for other projects like the war on drugs, or recycling. $400m is nothing compared to the hundreds of billions we waste annually on . That's not even close to the amount of money that vanishes like a fart in the wind thanks to the bang up enron like accounting of our government. I'm all for eliminating government waste but PBS and NPR aren't it. Moveon has a petition, the link is below, and so does the freepress, link below. If you know of any others please post them in this thread. If you want to save PBS and NPR then sign them, write a letter, do something to help.

http://mediamatters.org/handsoff/
http://www.freepress.net/publicbroadcasting/
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story...-6486824c.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...802528_pf.html
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opi...oped-headlines
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0502-01.htm
http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/...PBsurveys.html
http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcas...c.5nPuSPnw&t=3

Heres a blurb from moveon:

Dear MoveOn member,
You know that email petition that keeps circulating about how Congress is slashing funding for NPR and PBS? Well, now it's actually true. (Really. Check the footnotes if you don't believe us.)

A House panel has voted to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and other commercial-free children's shows. If approved, this would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch.

Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS:

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcas...c.5nPuSPnw&t=3

If we can reach 250,000 signatures by the end of the week, we'll put Congress on notice. After you sign the petition, please pass this message along to any friends, neighbors or co-workers who count on NPR and PBS.

The cuts would slash 25% of the federal funding this year—$100 million—and end funding altogether within two years.1 In particular, the loss could kill beloved children's shows like "Sesame Street," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Arthur" and "Postcards from Buster." Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships.

This shameful vote is only the latest partisan assault on public TV and radio. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which exists to shield public TV and radio from political pressure, is now chaired by Kenneth Tomlinson, a staunch Republican close to the White House. Tomlinson has already forced one-sided conservative programs on the air, even though Tomlinson's own surveys show that most people consider NPR "fair and balanced" and they actually trust public broadcasting more than commercial network news.2

Tomlinson also spent taxpayer dollars on a witch hunt to root out "liberal bias," including a secret investigation of Bill Moyers and PBS' popular investigative show, "NOW." Even though the public paid for the investigation, Tomlinson has refused to release the findings.3

The lawmakers who proposed the cuts aren't just trying to save money in the budget—they're trying to decimate any news outlets who question those in power. This is an ideological attack on our free press.

Talk about bad timing. Every day brings another story about media consolidation. Radio, TV stations and newspapers are increasingly controlled by a few massive corporate conglomerates trying to maximize profits at the expense of quality journalism. Now more than ever, we need publicly funded media who will ask hard questions and focus on stories that affect real people, instead of Michael Jackson and the runaway bride.

As the House and Senate consider this frightening effort to kill public broadcasting, they need to hear from its owners—you.

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcas...c.5nPuSPnw&t=4

Thank you for all you do,

–Noah, Wes, Jennifer, Eli and the MoveOn.org Team
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005

P.S. You can learn more about the threat to public broadcasting from our friends at Free Press at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=748

Sources:

1. "Public Broadcasting Targeted By House," Washington Post, June 10, 2005
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=745

2. "CPB's 'Secrets and Lies': Why the CPB Board Hid its Polls Revealing Broad Public Support for PBS and NPR," Center for Digital Democracy, April 27, 2005
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=746

3. "Republican Chairman Exerts Pressure on PBS, Alleging Biases," New York Times, May 2, 2005
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0502-01.htm

So, what do you think? Is PBS and NPR a bunch of government waste or have they made a valuable contribution to our country for a reasonable price?

[Geotpf]

At this point in time, I would prefer they stop giving money to it if it means they then would stop trying to fuck with it's programing.

[at]

The government shouldn't be spending any money on anything but the military, the police, and base operational costs.

[electric!sheep]

Originally Posted by at

The government shouldn't be spending any money on anything but the military...

If the government doesn't spend money on anything but the military, then the military does everything.

[electric!sheep]

Oh, and this is just bullshit. NPR is the only non-music radio I can tolerate listening to on my way to work. I guess it's time to hook up short-wave, because the government and the people of this fine nation are going to fail us yet again.

[edplayer]

Originally Posted by electric!sheep

NPR is the only non-music radio I can tolerate listening to on my way to work. I guess it's time to hook up short-wave, because the government and the people of this fine nation are going to fail us yet again.

don't you have access to any Pacifica stations?

[electric!sheep]

Originally Posted by edplayer

don't you have access to any Pacifica stations?

On FM or AM? I don't think there would be space on the FM dial--too many stations, too much interference (at least with a normal receiver).

[edplayer]

are you in California?

http://www.pacifica.org/

KPFA (94.1 FM in Berkeley),
KPFK (90.7 FM in Los Angeles),
KPFT (90.1 FM in Houston),
WBAI (99.5 FM in New York) and
WPFW (89.3 FM in Washington DC)

and they have affiliates also

[Wren5]

I hardly consider them positive and worthwhile. But if they're really so great then someone in the public sector will do what they did after they're dead. Either way it's no skin off my nose.

[Nano]

Originally Posted by Wren5

I hardly consider them positive and worthwhile. But if they're really so great then someone in the public sector will do what they did after they're dead. Either way it's no skin off my nose.

How the hell is PBS not positive and worthwhile?

[Wren5]

Originally Posted by Nano

How the hell is PBS not positive and worthwhile?

There shows are shitty and I've never heard of anybody I know watching them. Hell, even the people that I know with kids don't ever watch it.

[Nano]

Originally Posted by Wren5

There shows are shitty and I've never heard of anybody I know watching them. Hell, even the people that I know with kids don't ever watch it.

I watch them. I watched them when i was younger. I still watch some of their educational shows regularly. Also, had you watched PBS, you might know that "there" in your usage is incorrect, and "their" would be the proper word.

[edplayer]

burn

[homer1300]

Originally Posted by Wren5

There shows are shitty and I've never heard of anybody I know watching them. Hell, even the people that I know with kids don't ever watch it.

i can tell from your grammar that you really aren't PBS material anyway. for those of us with the mental capacity to appreciate the programming, PBS is important.

[isugoat]

Originally Posted by Nano

I watched them when i was younger.

I'm guessing they didn't teach anything about capitalizing "I" all the time?