NPR and PBS on the chopping block

tyreay · 02-25-2007, 12:08 PM

Thouht I'd share this e-mail I received:

"Congress must save NPR and PBS once and for all. Congress should guarantee permanent funding and independence from partisan meddling."

George W. Bush is trying—yet again—to slash funding for NPR and PBS. This week, Bush proposed a new budget with devastating cuts to public broadcasting.1 "Sesame Street" and other ad-free kids' shows are under the knife. So is the independent journalism our country needs.

Enough is enough. We've fought this fight before and won—but we can't afford the risk anymore. With the new Congress, we can make sure this never happens again. We need Congress to insulate NPR and PBS from the political winds.

We can make it happen if enough of us sign this petition: "Congress must save NPR and PBS once and for all. Congress should guarantee permanent funding and independence from partisan meddling." Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

MoveOn.org Civic Action: Save NPR and PBS once and for all

After you sign, please forward this email to your friends, family, and co-workers to keep this campaign going. We'll deliver the petition to members of Congress as they consider Bush's budget—offering a public counterpoint to this dangerous attack.

Congress can protect NPR and PBS from future cuts. The long-term solution to save public radio and TV is to:

fully restore this year's funding
guarantee a permanent funding stream free from political pressure
reform how the money is spent and keep partisan appointees from pushing a political bias

Bush's budget would cut federal funds for public broadcasting by nearly 25%.1 According to PBS, the cuts "could mean the end of our ability to support some of the most treasured educational children's series" like "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and "Arthur."2

As telecommunications chair Rep. Ed Markey said, "In a 24-7 television world with content often inappropriate for young children, the public broadcasting system represents an oasis of quality, child-oriented educational programming. We owe America's children and their parents this free, over-the-air resource."1

The cuts could also decimate one of the last remaining sources of watchdog reporting on TV—continuing the partisan war on journalism led by the ex-chair of public broadcasting, Ken Tomlinson.3 More people trust public broadcasting than any corporate news media.4 President Bush would rather undermine our free press than face reporters who are asking tough questions.

Let's put an end to the constant threats to NPR and PBS. Let's ask Congress to guarantee funding and stop partisan meddling. Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

MoveOn.org Civic Action: Save NPR and PBS once and for all

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Marika, Eli, Adam G. and the MoveOn.org Civic Action Team
Thursday, February 8th, 2007

P.S. Our friends at Free Press have more on how to save NPR and PBS once and for all:

Free Press : Put the Public Back in Public Broadcasting

Sources:
1. "Bush Proposes Steep Cut to PBS Funding," TV Week, February 5, 2007
TV Week

2. PBS' Ready to Learn program (funds "Sesame Street" and other children's shows)
Ready To Learn | PBS

3. "Tomlinson Slinks Away," MediaCitizen, November 3, 2005
MediaCitizen: Tomlinson Slinks Away

4. "2005 'Open to the Public' Objectivity and Balance Report," Corporation for Public Broadcasting, January 31, 2006
CPB: Objectivity and Balance, Open to the Public

tristanrobin · 02-25-2007, 12:12 PM

I received it, too.

I sincerely hope that NPR and PBS survives.

tristanrobin · 02-25-2007, 12:12 PM

tyreay - I just saw we have posted almost the same number of posts.

what does that matter?

not a damn bit.

Jefferson · 02-25-2007, 12:20 PM

This fraudulent notice has been going around about once per year for the last 5 years.

It's nice to know that MoveOn.org (aka National Enquirer) has jumped on the make-believe bandwagon.

Yagmi · 02-25-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jefferson

This fraudulent notice has been going around about once per year for the last 5 years.

It's nice to know that MoveOn.org (aka National Enquirer) has jumped on the make-believe bandwagon.

Can you post the link shooting down that it is a rumor and only a rumor? I would like to see it. Please and thank you.

Jefferson · 02-25-2007, 01:10 PM

Gee, here's the same article from June of 2005.
NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story

Katczinsky · 02-25-2007, 01:17 PM

If I haven't been mistaken, I believe the only reason why those type of stories show up every year is because the Bush administration seeks to cut public broadcast funding every year. PBS has to resort more and more to pledge drives and corporate funding. It used to be fully commercial-free; not anymore.

Yagmi · 02-25-2007, 01:21 PM

[quote Gee, here's the same article from June of 2005.
NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story]

Again, I asked you to please post the link that shot down the claim as being a rumor. Please try again.

AlicornsPrayer · 02-25-2007, 01:27 PM

[quote=Yagmi;78411]

Quote:

Gee, here's the same article from June of 2005.
NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story]

Again, I asked you to please post the link that shot down the claim as being a rumor. Please try again.

You noticed that too? He claims it's a rumor, then posts an article that supports the article that began this thread...His link clearly states that indeed, the funding for both of those channels are being cut....

In otherwords, his link confirmed the fact that the fundings being cut. So it's not a rumor...

Yagmi · 02-25-2007, 01:33 PM

[quote=AlicornsPrayer;78412]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yagmi

You noticed that too? He claims it's a rumor, then posts an article that supports the article that began this thread...His link clearly states that indeed, the funding for both of those channels are being cut....

In otherwords, his link confirmed the fact that the fundings being cut. So it's not a rumor...

I don't know if he didn't understand my question. Who knows.

It is very common for things to come up, be shot down, and then be brought back up for budget cuts, more than once.