Republicans take aim at their small-screen enemies

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=648488

Democrats are in uproar over what they see as a naked attempt by Republicans to impose more conservative views on American public television and radio channels, notable for their sober and serious BBC-style reporting and analysis, but regarded by the right as a bastion of the detested "liberal media".

The attack is two-pronged, financial and managerial. Last week a House committee voted to slash the budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the supervisory agency for public television and radio, by 25 per cent, or $100m (£55m), to $300m.

Separately, Kenneth Tomlinson, the CPB chairman and a Republican, is said to be rushing through the appointment of Patricia Harrison as president and chief executive. Ms Harrison, a senior official at the State Department, has no broadcasting experience. She was however once co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.

In a sign of Democratic unease, three leading senators ­ among them Hillary Clinton ­ have sent a letter to Mr Tomlinson urging a delay. The letter spoke of "serious concerns" about reports that Mr Tomlinson was interfering in the running of CPB, which distributes federal funding for public broadcasting, and which was set up to be a buffer that kept the politicians at a safe distance

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. I guess the CPB hasn't learned their lesson

that no matter how much Republican ass you kiss, in the long run they're going to screw you anyway.

[bluestateguy]

2. Sigh

Because controlling the White House, Congress, Supreme Court and governorships are not enough.

[AndyTiedye]

10. They Have To Control ALL The News On TV

Their propaganda works as well as it does because there are no
opposing voices on any news program on any network. If any
moderate or liberal views are allowed to be aired, that could
undo them.

They will probably be shutting CSPAN down after they're done with PBS.

[Endangered Specie]

3. If NPR had a spine, theyd fight back with a vengence!

...hold on there Endangered Specie, your getting too optomistic.

[Ian David]

8. They should just cut the budget for CONSERVATIVE programing

Now that they know which side their bread is buttered on-- and what they need to do to survive-- PBS should become more liberal than ever.

Maybe they'll start carrying programing from Air America Radio?

PBS is now in a death struggle against Bush, and they need to turn on him and do everything they can to turn the tide of public opinion against him.

Their survival is at stake.

[BRLIB]

4. Mara "Liarson" seems to be on the disinformation board and

actively campaigning for Frist. The glowing interview I heard this morning was already about 2008 and Frist not being a career politician, speaking of 2006 retirement from the Senate.
So in 2008 he is untainted.

His only bad point - he didn't deliver the appointments yet(Bolton, judicial) and compromised on the nuclear option due to Big Bad McCain.

Nothing about "Big Pharma" at all! Or about the remote Schiavo diagnosis that he made claiming she obviously responded to visual stimuli. She bit the bait all the way to his ... and even put in his plug that he really "wants" to do missionary work, heart transplants and the like!


I get sick listening to that garbage coming to work every morning.

We need AAR here!

[rodeodance]

5. i have notices that also about Mara

[BiggJawn]

6. Don't forget Cokie and Juan, either...

It's really sickening when they get all 3 of them together or one after another...It's always an "Aural Sex" fest for Shrubby.

And Barney will grow big ears and a long nose and sing "I love you, you love me, let's support the GOP...."

[Mountainman]

7. Another letter to the repubs, Dear repubs, please stop being bad guys .

Dear repubs,

Please play fair.

respectfully,

The Dems

[John Q. Citizen]

9. Bill Clinton appointed the RW Chairman, according to the article.

Is that part of a triangulation stategy to kill off PBS, or at least to make it safe for corporatism?

[Ronnie]

11. According to what article?

I don't see it.

[John Q. Citizen]

13. I no longer see it either. But google his name and Clinton and a

lot of stories come up about the appointment. Clinton apparently appointed him to the board and he became chair later. (My mistake)

I don't know where it went, but it's gone now and I thought it was in this thread.

hmm...

[T_i_B]

14. The other way around

It's the other Clinton mentioned in this article, and she appearts to be apprehensive about this.

In a sign of Democratic unease, three leading senators,­ among them Hillary Clinton­ have sent a letter to Mr Tomlinson urging a delay. The letter spoke of "serious concerns" about reports that Mr Tomlinson was interfering in the running of CPB, which distributes federal funding for public broadcasting, and which was set up to be a buffer that kept the politicians at a safe distance.

[John Q. Citizen]

17. Bill Clinton appointed Mr Tomlinson to the board.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/19/AR2005051901975.html

Here's an excerpt from a Washington Post article.


A Different Reception For Public Broadcasting
Agency Chairman Stresses 'Balance'

By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 20, 2005; Page A01

snip

Tomlinson, who was appointed to the CPB board by President Bill Clinton in 2000 and was named chairman by President Bush in September 2003, has also caused unease within public broadcasting circles with a series of recent hires

[SoCalDem]

20. Moyers said that Clinton appointed him AFTER the repubes

nominated him.. Apparently they "share" appointments, and a repube was up for nomination.. Tomlinson was their guy, and back then dems had their eyes and ears shut..R's have been infiltrating for YEARS..Tomlinson was their "mole".. Cliton did appoint him, but had he balked, the righties would have just started another investigation:(

[warrens]

12. NPR got a ton of emails leaked from someone a CPB

Tomlinson claims that he has no contact with the White House, but in some of the emails, he is browbeating someone to hire a guy the White House wanted. She refused. There's a lot more; this guy is a lying thug.

[magellan]

15. Aren't they all? (nt)

[Window]

16. Once, again, reported in a foreign newspaper.

Does the US have any reporters left? (rhetorical)

[kwolf68]

18. Brilliant

What is at play is the slow removal of any and every progressive or non-Conservative thought in the public scare.

David Horowitz is presently trying to eradicate colleges of Liberal thought of any kind and the march against the "Liberal media" rolls on unabated.

Thing is, the media doesn’t have to be ostensibly Liberal for this movement to take place. It merely needs to hint at non-Conservative (read, objective).

Obviously, Pravda worked and it will work here, but the modes of censorship must be more subtle and covert. An outright “ban” on Liberal ideas is too aggressive, but if you can slowly purge non-Conservatives either by removal, funding, or fear and drown out any dissent to the Conservative right you have essentially done what Pravda did, eliminate alternative viewpoints.

The “Liberal media” will never die…they will chant it until the end of days because it can be used to deflect ANYTHING not positive about the Republicans, even if that ANYTHING is factual investigation.

[Tracer]

19. On Jim Lehrer last night...

... there was a segment between a brain-dead Repub shill and a man (name?) who was the General Manager of a PBS station.

It was incredible.

The shill had 2 (count 'em, two) talking points:

1. Bill Moyers

2. Buster the Bunny

No matter how many factual and rational points the G.M. brought up, the shill replied with "Bill Moyers" and "Buster".