Save NPR

Swung by the library today so I have new reading material (although fosteronfilm mocks me, as our house is littered by review material I keep receiving for Tangent–but all of that is short fiction and occasionally I get a yen for a novel, dammit). So here’s a quick plea to save NPR and PBS, then I wanna get to reading:

This has been Snopes verified and everything. “The House is threatening to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and other commercial-free children’s shows.” Sign the moveon.org petition opposing these massive cuts to public broadcasting.

Sign the petition! Spread the word!

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11 Responses to Save NPR

  1. I’m a fan of both NPR and PBS, but they’ve been threatening this for the past five years or so.

    • madwriter says:

      But now there’s a “mandate”.

      This concerns me, but it’s still in House Subcommittee last I saw. When it looks to be heading to the floor, then I’ll be seriously worried.

  2. gfjames says:

    Darn, I coulda sworn I wrote something about this…

    Sadly, like most people will wait until it’s too late to act and the funding of NPR and PBS that the government (as it should support) provides will get cut and programs will die.

  3. Okay, just to play devil’s advocate–Why should government contribute tax dollars to a show like Sesame Street that makes millions on merchandising and spin-off products? Barney, Dora the Explorer, and Blue’s Clues all have software, toys, clothes, and other products that could easily help support these programs without any need for tax dollars or commercial advertising for that matter. Why am I wrong for thinking this might not be the best use for public funds?

    • gfjames says:

      Because for every Sesame Street that makes a few bucks (and you’re not actually paying for the specific show–they were just examples–the money is to make the viewing of it possible) there’s dozen of public interest shows that don’t make any money but are still worthy of viewership. And the same goes for NPR.

      PBS and NPR are non-profit organizations, every dollar in goes to support the stations broadcasting efforts.

  4. Oh I’m so torn! I want to save Sesame Street, but every time I listen to NPR it’s a bunch of kooks that I’d be happy to be rid of…

  5. rigel_kent says:

    Unfortunately, it’s something that’s been in the works for some time, and it’s just getting worse.

    Americablog

    (If you’re not registered for the NYTimes, you should… it’s free, but if you don’t want to say so, and I’ll email you my reg name and pass word)

  6. keesa_renee says:

    I’d heard about this on PBS, but I hadn’t been able to find out what I could do about it. I’m an activist to the core, though, so I’m definitely going to do what I can to keep PBS’s funding. APT is the only television station we have in our house, because it’s the only one we ever watch. I grew up with these shows; now that I’m grown up, I still rely on PBS for news, information, and entertainment like I can’t get anywhere else.

    Thanks so much for posting this, Eugie!!

  7. zhaneel69 says:

    Note from Snopes that I agree with:

    Although most efforts to protect public broadcasting from these proposed budget cuts urge supporters to affix their names to some type of petition, we believe the most effective course of action is to contact one’s congressional representative(s) directly, by U.S. mail, telephone, fax, or e-mail.

    Even better if your rep is on the stupid sub-commitee.

    Zhaneel

  8. zhaneel69 says:

    The subcommittee in question is the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencie sumcommitte of the House Appropriations Commitee. There is no bill so don’t bother looking for it in Thomas (the Library of Congress page).

    Commitee Member List here.

    Washington Post article (no reg required)

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