Save NPR and PBS; MoveOn wants 1 million signatures!

[DFLer4edu]

From MoveOn.org:
A House committee has voted to slash half of the federal funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and other commercial-free children's shows. If approved, this would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.

The cuts would eliminate more than $200 million for NPR, PBS and local stations immediately, with more cuts likely in the future. The loss could kill beloved children's shows like "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Arthur," and "Postcards from Buster." Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships.

The House will vote on the cuts as soon as Tuesday. Can you help us reach 1 million signatures calling on Congress to save NPR and PBS?

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Thanks!

P.S. Read the New York Times story on the threat to NPR and PBS at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=753

DFLer4edu:
MoveOn has currently just under 800,000 signnatures. Let's help them get over 1 million. Please sign and then forward this petition to everyone you know who would be willing to sign it.

[theHandpuppet]

1. Thank you!

I've signed and am giving this a kick for the early birds.

[joemurphy]

2. Hands Off Public Broadcasting!

One of the truly nice things in my life is listening to NPR and watching PBS. Now the Republicans are trying to f**k that up too. I've signed the Petition. Hands off Public Broadcasting!

[newyawker99]

9. Hi joemurphy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[DFLer4edu]

13. Welcome to the DU!

Thanks for signing!

[Daphne08]

3. My husband and I both signed this past week.

We think it's very important!

[YusefHawkins]

4. petitioner on board nt

[SouthernDem2004]

5. Making this a Dem vs Repub issue is a mistake.

I think you will find that a wide variety of people support PBS. The educational shows are outstanding. MOveon is just to partisan. Just my opinion...

[Prodemsouth]

8. Good Point . Move On needs to stay out of this battle.

But I believe the educational shows could be done elsewhere.

[DFLer4edu]

11. I'll respect that

That is what I like about PBS and NPR is that they aren't partisan and that they are supported by a variety of people. Ideally you're probably right, MoveOn isn't exactly the right organization to send around a petition as they are partisan. However, they'll get the most signatures and they'll hopefully put pressure on Congress to keep funding going. If you can come up with the petition of another organization, that isn't partisan, and that is capable of getting a lot of signatures I'd be happy to jump on board.

[Lochloosa]

6. Signed and Kicked

[Prodemsouth]

7. NO LET THEM GO NOW!! PBS and NPR have made liberals

and progressives lazy in forming a couter media operation to the conservatives. PBS and NPR are balanced and truthful, but many times go out of their way to obsure the truth by wanting to satisfy a right wing so snow blind it will never know the truth. Talk radio and Faux news provide a strong "counter point" and insulate Conservatives political leaders from the truth. This has caused mainstream sources to go even more conservative. It is also why we are fustrated at the rise of Conservative notions in these last decades. Progressives need to forget about Public Braodcasting and go make our own counter media operations stronger. Public Broadcasting means the Government now controlled by Conservatives will always be able to put their two cents in. Look at what happened to Bill Moyers. If our side had asomething like FOX news ( with Moyers as a host)there would be no worry about what conservatives thought of his show What a waste of time and resources by Move-On and others.

[DFLer4edu]

12. Why there isn't a liberal Faux (at least in my opinion)

The reason there isn't a progressive/liberal faux is that progressives/liberals don't need talking heads. I don't listen to Air America (and for that matter I don't know anyone who does listen regularly) because I don't need someone to interpret the news for me. Al Franklin is hilarious. I agree with what he says most of the time. I loved his book on the right wing bias in the media. It was a great read and I learned a lot. But he doesn't cut it as a primary news source because he is unbelievably biased. What I want is someone like Moyers who isn't partisan, but is intelligent, honest, and won't let either party get away with burning down the house and thus has opposed the war in Iraq.

[Prodemsouth]

16. Yeah but look at what happen to Moyers!! Hopefully most

Liberals don't think like you because that means we are doomed. Moyers was kicked off because of complaints of being baised by a large contributor to PBS. Did you even know that before you posted. People at PBS are always going to be at the mercy of corporate contol and the current political flavor of the decade. Republicans are already putting their people in the contol room at PBS and NPR. Why do we want to put resources and time behind what is going to becaome another Faux news, with home repair shows, fishing shows etc? I also resent your snobby defeatist elitist remark about Air America- Franken, or the others are not providing
news, but commentary. We all know it is commentary-and I would rather hear researched commentarty because Franken, Rhodes and the others have a staff and time to do research on the news I don't.

[DFLer4edu]

21. "snobby defeatist elitist remark about Air America"

I'll give it to you that my remark was a bit defeatist, but how was it snobby or elitist? Maybe I phrased it wrong. What I meant to say is as a primary news source most liberals/progressives prefer a source which isn't an overtly biased source. Now as a SECOND source I love to come over to DU which in turn gives you tons of sources which are biased, but generally accurate. If one of your sources is Air America more power to you. However, I think it is important that people also get information from a source that isn't Republican or Democrat.
The republican party is obviously trying to put their hands on NPR and PBS. This is no reason to let NPR and PBS die. It is a reason to stand up and say, get your filthy hands off NPR and PBS! In that sense you are being defeatist. If you're not willing to sign the MoveOn petition to save funding for PBS, consider signing this free press petition which basically says, get your filthy hands off PBS.

http://www.freepress.net/action/pbs

[DemoTex]

10. Signed and forwarded

:kick:

[DFLer4edu]

14. Slowly, but surely

MoveOn has gained a couple thousand more signatures. Not bad for a Sunday morning, but we can do better. Come on DUers please sign and forward this petition and help save NPR and PBS!

[Prodemsouth]

17. I am a DU'er and refuse to help what is going to becaome a

corparate pig cousin of FOX news. Rpugs are snapping up jopbs at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS. I urge all DUers and Progressives everywhere not to lift a finger- instead put your time and resources in developing outlets that will get our ideas out without having to worry about what the other side thinks.

[alfredo]

15. I signed. Our local PBS station is speaking out.

[laura888]

18. kick n/t

[Hissyspit]

19. nominated

[DFLer4edu]

20. 812,901 signatures and counting!

[DFLer4edu]

22. Over 976,000 signatures

Let's go people, this thing has got to get to a million. We can't come up short now.