The Bush administration has once again proposed cuts in scheduled spending for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in his latest budget. No conservative should hold his breath that proposal would pass. But that doesn't mean lobbyists for PBS on the left won't fight the cuts with dishonest claims. Credo Mobile Action, a project of the the "progressive" Working Assets telephone company, offers this clunker:
Many families do not have access to cable and depend upon PBS for kid-friendly programming that is not offered by the major networks, especially in the prime time hours. Cuts to public broadcasting would threaten such programming.
Since when does Sesame Street run in prime time?
The message has the usual GOP-hates-Big-Bird line in it: "In his last year in office, don't let Bush pull the plug on Bill Moyers, the NewsHour, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster."
The funniest line in it is that "even" Patricia Harrison, a Republican Bush appointee to the CPB, thinks the Bush cut proposal was "draconian." Harrison has been firmly planted on the entire PBS lobbying line from the moment she arrived.
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PBS can go to hell
February 12, 2008 - 09:05 ET by ArchConservativePBS should have lost funding decades ago. With the explosion of stations out there, there is no more need for a dinosaur like PBS. If PBS wants to stay commercial free, let them compete in the market place like everyone else and use the revenue from shows like Sesame Street and Barney to fund their stations. Maybe Bill Moyers should donate part of his salary to his network to keep it going. But everyone knows that would never happen because like all libs, he's a hypocrite and wants other people's money to fund a station that should never get one more dime from us.
PBS and the NEA should both be defunded as soon as possible. Let's start cutting the budget with these two worthless programs and work our way in to others.
You support the troops by supporting the mission! If you don't support the mission, have the guts to say you don't support the troops.
PBS
February 12, 2008 - 09:11 ET by allanfI think Public Broadcasting has outlived its usefulness. Bill Moyers can pontificate MSNBC. He might even be considered a conservative by those folks.
PBS is commercial-free? Now
February 12, 2008 - 09:27 ET by Evil CapitalistPBS is commercial-free? Now I need to clean coffee off my monitor... In Philadephia, you can see the same commercials from Jefferson Hospital on ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS, with the one on PBS having additional "Jefferson Hospital is proud to support PBS" line added to the end. While Ford does not pimp $399 leases on CBS, it proudly "supports PBS" with the car being driven around in the background. And you should just see the cooking shows - no less than 7 "This program is brought to you by" followed "This program brought to you by Woodbridge Merlot" with a 30 second plug followed by "... and by cook.com where blah blah blah " followed by "... and by Viva towels because live is messy" etc etc.
Public BS
February 12, 2008 - 10:05 ET by ArchConservativePBS is relatively commercial free. It doesn't have any 30-60sec ad spots (at least where I live). Although you always have those "Brought to you by ...." or "Sponsored by ...." quick bites. And that just makes my point even more. Since it's getting revenue from all these corporations, why should we have to fund this drivel. We don't have to give money to CBS or to ESPN to keep them on the air, so why the hell should PBS get one damn penny from any of our paychecks. I think I might have to change my moniker to "AngyArchConservative". Ok, back to my Pop Tart.
I though the purpose of PBS
February 12, 2008 - 09:30 ET by rbosqueI though the purpose of PBS was to promote television back in the day. I think it's safe to say that TV does not need further promotion.
Sesame Street makes millions fro PBS, why should we keep funding it especially if they carry leftist news shows. Imagine all the whining from the left if a conservative show were broadcast by PBS?
Promoting television may
February 12, 2008 - 13:32 ET by Republic1Promoting television may have been the line from Bill Moyers and the other Johnson administration officials who created PBS back in the 60's. But their real agenda was what PBS has become today--the SBS (Socialist Broadcasting System). If you ever see anything but leftist, multi-culturalist, anti-Western, race baiting propaganda from that network of and by ancient 60's radicals and their kin, consider yourself lucky.
"Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." -Muhammad
PBS LIBERAL BIAS
February 12, 2008 - 09:37 ET by TWOTIMETUNAIf PBS didn't have a liberal politcal agenda and was non-political, I wouldn't mind the government funding it.
Democrats are either Parasites or Parasite Enablers
I would. Show me where the
February 12, 2008 - 10:52 ET by contraryI would. Show me where the Federal Government was given the authority to tax us to establish a television network. (Hint: It has to be enumerated in the US Constitution)
"Republicans always get a huge pass on the racist issue. Huck is just another example. Provided they don't start up with the N word, they seem able to pander directly to the racist vote."
-- Chuck Davis, intellectual heavyweight, bigot
the problem....
February 12, 2008 - 11:52 ET by mbuelwith that is, that as soon as liberals take control they can change the political agenda of the station. PBS is no longer needed and should lose public funding. Don't we get enough AGW propaganda on Nat-Geo?
Let me see if I've got this straight...
February 12, 2008 - 09:40 ET by sarcasmoThere exist PBS lobbyists (in this case the PBS president) who get paid with my tax dollars, to argue for spending more of my tax dollars on PBS? (And people still wonder why I'm a libertarian...)
JMR
If this is winning, I think I'd rather lose...
If they would have/should
February 12, 2008 - 10:04 ET by ConservativeRexIf they would have/should have defunded PBS 40 years ago we would have been spared paying big money not having to de-program all the leftist this tax-payer funded crap spawned.
You want your tax money going to PBS? Fine, ear-mark your tax money all you want, don't assume all people feel this is the beat use of THEIR tax dollars.
PBS and NPR
February 12, 2008 - 10:11 ET by planetrepublicanPBS and NPR are both sacred cows of the liberal establishment, never get defunded, never will. Of course they push a liberal slant and that is why they have the Dem support. Of course they are ancient has-beens, doesn't seem to matter. When I try to use the analogy of Rush Limbaugh not getting tax payer $ and pushing a right-wing agenda, I always get the "no, PBS and NPR are NOT liberal, you have it wrong" response. Then I am forced to show HOW they are liberal and I get the same response. I think it breaks down to liberals not thinking they are liberal...they think they are moderate. They think people like me are extremists. So of course they don't see any libeal bias when pin heads like Bill Moyer get out there and yada the liberal line all day long. Ditto for the MSM.
Many families do not have
February 12, 2008 - 10:21 ET by AlabamaMany families do not have access to cable and depend upon PBS for kid-friendly programming that is not offered by the major networks, especially in the prime time hours.
We have satellite, so this isn't really an issue in our house, but even if we didn't, I STILL wouldn't let my kids watch PBS. Sometimes people find it odd that my four-year-old doesn't know who Big Bird is, but he's one of the smartest kids I know, and it has nothing to do with "educational" TV.
Public BS Corporation
February 12, 2008 - 12:15 ET by not_lima_HPBS is just another one of those tools the libs use to take my money and use it to advocate against me. With all the air of respectability, they have shown some of the most biased lies I’ve seen on television or radio.
Big Bird is now old enough to get a job and make his own money.
Tonight's PBS Prime Time Line Up
February 12, 2008 - 14:16 ET by YahooWatcherAt least in my area:
8:00PM - Nova: "AstroSpies"
A look at the Cold War-era plans of the U.S. and USSR to militarize space. Included: insights from astronauts involved in the top-secret American prog…more
9:00PM - The Mormons
Conclusion. An examination of the modern-day LDS Church, including its missionary program; how its followers have entered into the American mainstream…
(I'm sure the kiddies will be riveted.)
Libs make up your mind!
February 12, 2008 - 16:56 ET by masslibertarianI thought the big problem was that too many kids are sitting around on their keisters watching tv instead of doing homework or exercising.
Now, when the signature entitlement for urban liberal elites is threatened, we must save PBS "for the children." Gimme a break.
Proletariat Broadcasting Service
February 12, 2008 - 17:57 ET by R D HelmI think it is long past time PBS was left to fend for itself.
If it dies, it dies.
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. -J.W. von Goethe
They Can't Have It Both Ways
February 12, 2008 - 20:45 ET by Junk Science SkepticEvery time PBS has a funding drive, they make a big deal about how little of their budget comes from government (taxpayer) funding . . . but then the minute anybody proposes cutting funding for PBS, they whine and moan about how PBS would cease to exist without the taxpayer-funded handout.
And to think, people actualyy wonder why I never believe liberals.
ABC 2008 (Anybody But Clinton)