PBS is fighting back against proposed funding cuts - YOUR help is needed

[paineinthearse]

Channel 2 (WGBH in Boston, PBS' flagship station) at midnight played back-to-back ads playing up the merits of PBS programming, the first from a baby/todler's perspective (call on behalf of someone else, who deserves non-commercial educational TV) and an appeal to adults from Glenn Ifull ("I grew up on PBS and learned to ask questions; now I am a journalist and ask as many questions as I want, and still have time to sneek a peak at Sesame Street").

Please take a moment to read WGBH's appeal, their FAQ's and pass the information along to friends, especially those unfortunate with rethug or conservative dem congress critters.

http://www.wgbh.org/article?item_id=2320377

A Letter from WGBH President Henry Becton

Take action!

Proposed funding cuts now before the US House of Representatives pose a serious threat to public broadcasting: to PBS, to NPR, and to local stations like WGBH.

As a result, WGBH and other stations are urgently asking the millions of Americans who value public TV and radio to contact your legislators in Congress and tell them how you feel. If you oppose a 45% cut in funding for public broadcasting, let your legislators know that.

The House may vote on these cuts as soon as June 22, 2005, so it's critical that your members of Congress hear from you today.

We know you may have questions, so please check our FAQs - http://www.wgbh.org/generic/federalfundfaq. We have also posted some tips for calling your legislators, including contact information - http://www.wgbh.org/article?item_id=2320912 and what you might say in support of public broadcasting - http://www.wgbh.org/article?item_id=2320680

For many years, we in public broadcasting have relied on our friends and fans for financial support. Now we are asking you to support us as citizens. No less than the future of public television and radio is at stake.

Thank you for taking action,

Henry Becton Jr.
President of WGBH

PS Help us spread the word by sharing my letter with your friends and family so that they can take action, too. Send them to www.wgbh.org/takeaction.

[PsN2Wind]

1. I have a Repub friend

that has been with PBS on a southern station for years. We reconnected after many years without communicating. When I expressed surprise upon learning of his political leaning and asked how he could support a party that wanted to defund his job, He said that there were always a few of the more radical on the right wanting to do just that but that it wouldn't pass the majority. I guess he hadn't realized that they are damn near all right-wing radicals now.

[gumby]

2. If Public Broadcasting had any devotion

to democracy, they wouldn't be in this position now.

Hey, look Lawrence Welk is on.

[halobeam]

3. I'll hand out a gazillion copies of this letter

during the next few days. I also clicked on the links and copied that info as well, to hand out.

PBS needs to be saved. This is getting ridiculous, they will soon ban ice cream, I mean really, spare me.

[earth mom]

4. KICK!

:kick:

[warrens]

5. The nazis are making the big push

The reason? NPR is the ONLY media outlet that has made significant gains in the past decade. Actually, the past two decades. And they're pretty objective. There are a couple of people I don't care for, but on the whole, they really examine an issue and they are real-time. What the wingnuts hate is that they use experts, academics and actual scientists and authors and stuff, in the conversation. No Ann Coulters allowed.

I know a lot of people here hate NPR, but it is the most objective and at the same time progressive media outlet there is. They hardly commented on Michael Jackson, other than to report the trial results. They keep their eye on the ball. On The Media is an extremely fine show. On the PBS side, NOW is pure dynamite. Yeah, they show both sides, but they let the wingnuts hang themselves.

Today on NOW, they had a 16 year old Xtian girl from Lubbock who is taking down the Xtian right with a group she started to support sex education, after seeing her friends take abstinence pledges, then get pregnant because they would NEVER buy a condom (or be allowed to buy one, for that matter). They had footage where the slimy Xtian minister told her she would go to hell, and she got right in his face, saying DON'T YOU TELL ME I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN. He scuttled away.

PBS and NPR know how to take care of themselves. They have Big Bird and stuff to remind people that the propaganda is nonsense. Republicans hate facts, and that is all that is going on here. That idiot saying they should just play music and stop reporting news has dug his own grave.

[Terran1212]

6. When you say "Rethug" you HELP them

You carry on the lie that the problem lies only with Republicans. All members of this capitalist and miltarist government are to blame, INCLUDING DEMOCRATS.



There is no true party of democracy and of populism. We need to realize this while we fight the Establishment

[paineinthearse]

8. I'll agree with you half way.

Yes, there are, unfortunately, too many DLC/corporatist democrats.

But on this issue, I seeing them voting with the populists, thus the emphesis on persuading the rethugs.

But on your council I edited the intial post. Thanks.

[The Animator]

7. I'm actually having a bowl right now... of Ice Cream I mean...

Seriously, they could trample every single right in our Constitution, declare Marshal Law, suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus, and start building concentration camps for Outspoken Democrats, and the country would amble on seeing nothing through their dead cow eyes... but so help me God, they ban Iced Cream... Hello New American Revolution.

[paineinthearse]

9. Please contact your Congresscritter TODAY - fight the PBS/NPR cuts

Do it NOW! Don't put if off.

[NoKillShelterGuy]

10. I hate to tell you this, but public educational broadcasting

is no longer public or educational.

Want an example? File a FOIA request with your local PBS station, and watch what happens.