Comments on: Gunning for PBS http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:46:37 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Linda http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-484197 Linda Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:02:25 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-484197 NPR is the only talk that I listen to on the radio. Where else can we hear world news? It isn't idealogues beating us over the head with their anger and half truths. Of course we (the listeners) are smart enough to have several sources of information and think for ourselves. Idealogues hate that!!! NPR is the only talk that I listen to on the radio. Where else can we hear world news? It isn’t idealogues beating us over the head with their anger and half truths. Of course we (the listeners) are smart enough to have several sources of information and think for ourselves. Idealogues hate that!!!

]]> By: L http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-60727 L Fri, 11 Aug 2006 22:42:39 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-60727 It's because Bert and Ernie are, Ahemm, 'roomates'. The Right just hates that. It’s because Bert and Ernie are, Ahemm, ‘roomates’. The Right just hates that.

]]> By: Sean Aqui http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59323 Sean Aqui Wed, 09 Aug 2006 01:57:00 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59323 BrianofAtlanta: If what you say about your relatives is true, I doubt they are NPR listeners. That said, I'm sure some stations are little more than pass-throughs for national programming. But even such minimalist operations exert local control over what programming they pass through. So in general, a station in a conservative region will make more conservative programming choices than a station in a less conservative region. After all, they still get most of their budget from private, local sources. Bert: Thanks for the inside perspective. The reason PBS and NPR began in the first place was to bring quality, noncommercial programming to areas that didn't have it, so that someone in the sticks could have access to the same cultural events as someone living in Manhattan. If nothing else that remains a worthy goal. BrianofAtlanta: If what you say about your relatives is true, I doubt they are NPR listeners. That said, I’m sure some stations are little more than pass-throughs for national programming. But even such minimalist operations exert local control over what programming they pass through. So in general, a station in a conservative region will make more conservative programming choices than a station in a less conservative region. After all, they still get most of their budget from private, local sources.

Bert: Thanks for the inside perspective. The reason PBS and NPR began in the first place was to bring quality, noncommercial programming to areas that didn’t have it, so that someone in the sticks could have access to the same cultural events as someone living in Manhattan. If nothing else that remains a worthy goal.

]]> By: Bert Schmidt http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59290 Bert Schmidt Tue, 08 Aug 2006 22:05:01 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59290 You hit the nail right on the head regarding the impact on the small rural stations. I run the public television station in Harrisonburg VA, the 181st market. We cover a large geographic area and have greater than normal distribution costs (2 transmitter and 5 translators), but have a very rural (and relatively poor) broadcast region, with Harrisonburg (pop. 40,000) being our largest city. Federal funding is almost 1/3 of our total budget. If our federal funding was eliminated, it's very unlikely we would continue to exist, and if we could, we certainly would not provide any of the local programming and services we currently provide, but simply be a pass through of PBS programming. If enough small stations were to then fail, the costs of the system would then be distributed to the remaining stations, which in turn, would make them weaker than they currently are. It's a shame that american public television is the worst funded public television system among first world countries. With proper funding, american public television could be the answer to many of today's problems, from getting children ready to learn when they enter school, to providing extensive and unbiased jouralism. You hit the nail right on the head regarding the impact on the small rural stations.

I run the public television station in Harrisonburg VA, the 181st market. We cover a large geographic area and have greater than normal distribution costs (2 transmitter and 5 translators), but have a very rural (and relatively poor) broadcast region, with Harrisonburg (pop. 40,000) being our largest city.

Federal funding is almost 1/3 of our total budget. If our federal funding was eliminated, it’s very unlikely we would continue to exist, and if we could, we certainly would not provide any of the local programming and services we currently provide, but simply be a pass through of PBS programming.

If enough small stations were to then fail, the costs of the system would then be distributed to the remaining stations, which in turn, would make them weaker than they currently are.

It’s a shame that american public television is the worst funded public television system among first world countries. With proper funding, american public television could be the answer to many of today’s problems, from getting children ready to learn when they enter school, to providing extensive and unbiased jouralism.

]]> By: Joshua http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59284 Joshua Tue, 08 Aug 2006 21:31:39 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59284 I wonder if the growth of satellite radio, which reaches urban and rural areas alike and offers a dizzying array of programming, hasn't made public radio something of a dinosaur. (Indeed, now there's even a "public radio" channel on XM itself, run by the Minnesota PR guys.) I wonder if the growth of satellite radio, which reaches urban and rural areas alike and offers a dizzying array of programming, hasn’t made public radio something of a dinosaur. (Indeed, now there’s even a “public radio” channel on XM itself, run by the Minnesota PR guys.)

]]> By: BrianOfAtlanta http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59280 BrianOfAtlanta Tue, 08 Aug 2006 21:10:08 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59280 In my experience, NPR programming is largely the same in conservative rural GA as it is in liberal Atlanta. It just gets cursed at more in rural GA than in Atlanta. The public stations still play classical music rather than bluegrass or country western and put on "Fresh Air", the mere mention of which sets the teeth to grinding among my rural relatives. I doubt it would be much missed in rural America. In my experience, NPR programming is largely the same in conservative rural GA as it is in liberal Atlanta. It just gets cursed at more in rural GA than in Atlanta. The public stations still play classical music rather than bluegrass or country western and put on “Fresh Air”, the mere mention of which sets the teeth to grinding among my rural relatives.

I doubt it would be much missed in rural America.

]]> By: DosPeros http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59267 DosPeros Tue, 08 Aug 2006 19:21:49 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59267 Maybe I'm thinking of the Discovery Channel. My bag. It is a damn shame that the Republicans have to pick on NPR/PBS -- look Sandanista pinko professors really don't have anything else to do these days and it is unfair to take away their singularly monotone and stupid voice. And like Meredith correctly points out, PBS does provide the world with shows like This Old House - a place were New England hobby carpenters can come together and talk about clam chodder. Maybe I’m thinking of the Discovery Channel. My bag. It is a damn shame that the Republicans have to pick on NPR/PBS — look Sandanista pinko professors really don’t have anything else to do these days and it is unfair to take away their singularly monotone and stupid voice. And like Meredith correctly points out, PBS does provide the world with shows like This Old House – a place were New England hobby carpenters can come together and talk about clam chodder.

]]> By: Meredith http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59243 Meredith Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:21:30 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59243 I love PBS and NPR. If it weren't for those two things, I would never ever turn on my radio or television. I'm not sure where the liberal bias is on them, and I am very liberal. If by liberal, you also mean boring, folksy or irrelevant, than yeah, I guess their liberal. (I'm talking about the NPR pieces on things like kitchens from ancient times or recitations of poems about childhood parks, etc. - OR - things on PBS like Antiques Roadshow, which I actually like but admit that I don't know why). Compared to ALL other radio stations and television stations, I would have always guessed them to be the most conservative, at least content wise because I don't think I've ever seen or heard anything provocative while watching or listening, and that includes all the "boobies" Dos Peros is apparently tuning into on PBS. I must go to bed too early. I guess if one depends upon these broadcasts for accurate news, as I do, they should automatically be suspected of being liberal. I love PBS and NPR. If it weren’t for those two things, I would never ever turn on my radio or television. I’m not sure where the liberal bias is on them, and I am very liberal. If by liberal, you also mean boring, folksy or irrelevant, than yeah, I guess their liberal. (I’m talking about the NPR pieces on things like kitchens from ancient times or recitations of poems about childhood parks, etc. – OR – things on PBS like Antiques Roadshow, which I actually like but admit that I don’t know why).

Compared to ALL other radio stations and television stations, I would have always guessed them to be the most conservative, at least content wise because I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard anything provocative while watching or listening, and that includes all the “boobies” Dos Peros is apparently tuning into on PBS. I must go to bed too early.

I guess if one depends upon these broadcasts for accurate news, as I do, they should automatically be suspected of being liberal.

]]> By: DosPeros http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59218 DosPeros Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:14:16 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59218 Kevin - it has long been known that PBS likes to show naked boobies, paricularly indigenous naked boobies; Literally a sea of unabashed, bacchanalia booby worship (cleverly couched in anthropology) and for that reason, the Republicans, as defenders of starchy sexual repression must pull-out from this wicked whore and return us to some humble modicum of righteousness. Funny post on your blog, btw. Kevin – it has long been known that PBS likes to show naked boobies, paricularly indigenous naked boobies; Literally a sea of unabashed, bacchanalia booby worship (cleverly couched in anthropology) and for that reason, the Republicans, as defenders of starchy sexual repression must pull-out from this wicked whore and return us to some humble modicum of righteousness.

Funny post on your blog, btw.

]]> By: Kevin http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/comment-page-1/#comment-59209 Kevin Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:44:59 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/08/08/gunning-for-pbs/#comment-59209 Great, In order to balance the budget we're going to assassinate Big Bird. I'm genuinly curious, what is it about public broadcasting that bugs the Republicans so much? Does anyone tune watch these networks for anything other than the commercial free television geared towards young children? Are they worried that my kids will become Democrats because Elmo doesn't support the war in Iraq. I don't get this. Great, In order to balance the budget we’re going to assassinate Big Bird. I’m genuinly curious, what is it about public broadcasting that bugs the Republicans so much? Does anyone tune watch these networks for anything other than the commercial free television geared towards young children? Are they worried that my kids will become Democrats because Elmo doesn’t support the war in Iraq. I don’t get this.

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