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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| NYT: Evil Republican Chairman Exerts Pressure On PBS |
| 2005-05-02 |
| Posted by:Matt |
| #3 To NPR, to the tune of a jingle used by one of your very sponsors: Theeeeere's a place for you... Some-wheeeeeere, a place for you... un-der... the dust-heap of his-to-ry |
| Posted by: eLarson 2005-05-02 21:40 |
| #2 NPR's "sponsors" are advertisers, pure and simple. Also, NPR charges local stations for its programming. Absurd to pretend that it's non-commercial "public radio." Nothing wrong with a liberal voice on the radio, but let them compete in the market like anyone else. De-fund them and also force local "public" stations to offer equal time at the same rates to every other commercial broadcaster. |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-05-02 12:10:16 PM |
| #1 From TFA: Though PBS's ratings have stabilized lately after several years of decline, the network has faced criticism that much of its programming - shows like "Antiques Roadshow" and "Masterpiece Theater" - is little different from what can be found on cable television. Though a huge bequest to National Public Radio from the estate of Joan Kroc, widow of the founder of McDonald's, has furthered the independence of public radio, corporate support and state financing for public television have slipped in recent years, making the nearly $400 million in federal money annually funneled through the corporation increasingly important. Nor have administration officials and lawmakers been shy about challenging certain programming. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, for example, earlier this year publicly denounced a program featuring a cartoon rabbit named Buster who visited a pair of lesbian parents. Let the Krocs of the world fund the CPB turkey. I do not want the official government seal on this sorry-ass excuse for a broadcasting entity any longer. Defund NPR. Let them survive in the marketplace by their own devices. |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-05-02 12:06:04 PM |