Re: [Swprograms] [BULK] Re: Protest cutting funding for public broadcasting

[Joseph Buch <joseph.buch@xxxxxxx>]

At 12:12 AM 06/19/2005, John Figliozzi wrote:
>Your argument would hold more water if the level of government funding 
>was significant.  It's somewhere in the neighborhood of 15% of the 
>average station's budget.  Most goes to program production and 
>development for PBS.  Where the money to develop programs would come 
>from otherwise would be the same place it comes from on commercial 
>tv--the corporate world. 


Sacrificing 15% of the system's budget is a small price to pay to get overt political influence out PBS and NPR.  Each affiliate station kicks money back NPR or PBS to pay for the programming they air.  Some of that money finds its way to new program development.  I think the assertion that if federal funds are removed from the equation the system would crumble is "crying wolf".  Most new development comes not from the "corporate world" but rather from foundations like MacArthur, Annenberg, etc.  While one might argue that the Ford Foundation could steer watchers of Nova to buy a Mustang, I really doubt the connection is very strong.

Yes, the president and his lackies are trying to sink public broadcasting because from where they stand everyone to the left of G. Gordon Liddy looks positively subversive.  As long as government controls 15% of the purse strings, government will feel entitled to jerk on 100% of  those strings any time they please.  Time to cut the strings.

As far as not paying your taxes to support an immoral war or a misplaced notion of the sanctity of brain-dead vegetable life, there are prominent folks who have done just that and they still seem to walking around freely without striped suits.  Maybe if we all had such courage we could stop this madness.  On the other hand, is it any surprise Bush would support the sustenance of brain-dead vegetable life?

Joe Buch 


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