ABC's debacle is one great reason why we need to support PBS

[Auggie]

Commercial networks seem unable to host any kind of political discussion that doesn't feature "masturbatory emissions from moderators" (thank you, high density: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5537657&mesg_id=5537804).

It's unlikely this will change soon -- networks want to promote "stars" like Gibson and Russert. But PBS doesn't necessarily answer to the bottom line.

It's Public Broadcasting, right? And we're the goddamn public, right?

So ChimpCo cuts their funding. I'm sending a check to PBS.

------

On another note, whatever happened to debates held by the League of Women Voters?

[anonymous171]

1. Any chance the convention could be aired on Public Broadcasting?

I wish...

[JoFerret]

2. Now that's a good plan

Three cheers for PBS.

[RiverStone]

3. Not too fast...

This story is a few years old, but it is why I no longer support the National PBS. I do however, support my state PBS organization.

If this rethug coup has changed, I'm open to happily being corrected. :hi:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0427-33.htm

[whatchamacallit]

6. They infiltrated NPR as well

:banghead:

[L0oniX]

13. Heh ...I've been calling NPR National Petroleum Radio for years.

[Auggie]

7. I envision a scenario where PBS airs a debate sponsored by a fair partisan group

[RiverStone]

11. Sadly, the head honchos at PBS are not fair and very partisan. n/t

[L0oniX]

12. Agreed ...the x-head of the RNC took over and basically kicked Bill Moyers off of NOW because...

Bill was exposing the repukes crimes and corporate crimes. FreeSpeechTV and LinkTv are supported entirely by individual public donations, hosting shows like Democracy Now and Mozaic and INN and other independent documentaries.

[Auggie]

15. Okay -- how about at a local level? Some of the larger, better funded stations?

Boston, New York, San Francisco... let them pool their recources.

[LTR]

21. Much of PBS' programming is produced at the local level

That's why you see other stations' call letters at the end of some shows. Some familiar ones include WGBH in Boston and WNET in New York.

[LTR]

20. That is an old article

The long Ken Tomlinson nightmare is now over. He was the asshat who oversaw PBS and wanted to rid it of what he perceived as 'liberal bias.' He was appointed chairman of the board of the CPB by Dumbya. And, of course, he was appointed to the board by Bill Clinton. He wound up leaving in disgrace, tail between legs.

Had a real bug up his ass about Bill Moyers. Was a friend of Karl Rove.

After leaving CPB, got busted for corruption when he ran Voice of America, where he was running a personal business out of his government office. Got fired for misuse of funds. In other words, typical Repuke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Tomlinson

PBS has improved since he left. I do like the News Hour. And many PBS stations run BBC World News, and talk shows from Charlie Rose and Tavis Smiley (though the guy has an incredibly huge ego, he does have good guests).

[eppur_se_muova]

25. They've been doing a series on "climate change" (not "Global Warming", which is what it is).

A few days ago (Tue?) I woke up to hear "Morning Edition" acknowledging funding from the Cato Institute ("Libertarian"; more like anti-liberal) as they introduced another of their occasional series. I didn't have time to listen, but it appears to have been a story giving kudos to a 16yr-old GW skeptic with a Web site. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89619306

Four out of five "Doubters of Global Warming" interviewed recently by PBS's Frontline were funded by, or had some other institutional connection with, the Institute.<57> Out of more than four dozen chapters, the Cato Handbook for Congress has three chapters on environmental issues, one of which is on global warming.<58> Cato has often criticized Al Gore's stances on the issue of global warming and agreed with the Bush administration's skeptical attitude toward the Kyoto protocols. Its positions on the subject are unpopular with some left-of-center groups.<59>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato_Institute

[demo dutch]

4. They've got CBS/Katie lined up for NC, & it will be a repeat of the ABC disaster so, I wish this

madness would just stop! Everyone I spoke was outraged!

[cbayer]

17. NOOOO!!! Not Katie.

Please, please not Katie. Talk about dumbing it down. OMG, what a mistake that would be.

[woolldog]

5. Wow,these debates by the league of women voters

must've been something else b/c you guys keep bringing them up.

[Auggie]

9. They discussed issues -- not flag pins

[TheDoorbellRang]

22. The League of Women Voters were in charge of the debates

when they were actually debates. I remember when they pulled out in protest. Here's a bit from wikipedia:

The League of Women Voters Education Fund sponsored the 1976, 1980, and 1984 presidential debates. In 1988, the LWV withdrew from debate sponsorship, in protest of the major party candidates attempting to dictate nearly every aspect of how the debates were to be conducted, which ultimately resulted in the Democratic and Republican parties forming the Commission on Presidential Debates which gave the parties greater control over the debate environment.

On October 2, 1988, the LWV's 14 trustees voted unanimously to pull out of the debates, and on October 3 they issued a dramatic press release:

The League of Women Voters is withdrawing sponsorship of the presidential debates ... because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter. It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public.

And now you know why we oldtimers would like them back in charge.

[L0oniX]

8. PBS is fucked up too since the x-head of the RNC took over. Now it's censored.

They effectively shut down Bill Moyers when he was the host of NOW because he was digging into things that the repukes and corporate cronies don't want the public to know about. The only free independent news sources on TV are FreeSpeechTV and LinkTV which host Democracy Now and INN and Mozaic and many other independent documentaries and reports.

[cbayer]

18. Bill Moyers is doing some incredible work on PBS these days.

Check it out, if you haven't already. He does not appear to be censored at all.

[L0oniX]

24. Yes He does the Journal but it's not like what he used to do on NOW.

Local PBS is always on a fund drive so I only watch him online now.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Think how wonderful this debate would have been....

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/17/137/77602/978/497346

I. DOMESTIC SEGMENT

1. Joan Q to Obama:
What will your Supreme Court look like, and what test will you apply?

(folo: to Richardson, why Whizzer White and what does that say about your court? Kucinich: Did Dems do enough to scuttle Alito?)

2. Joan Q to Clinton:
What lessons did you learn, exactly, from the 1993 health care debacle?

(folo: Obama and Edwards bickering over mandates...is Obama’s plan going to leave too many uninsured?)

3. Matt Q to Richardson:
Do deficits really matter?

(folo: how much of a deficit is acceptable? Once you open that door, how do you keep Congress from spending more and more?)

4. Jeffrey Q to Dodd (from Jason Rosenbaum in audience):
How do you plan to support equal access to broadcast media?

More at the link.

[Auggie]

14. Yeah (sigh). Great link.

[cbayer]

16. I am with you.

That's pretty much all I watch. Frontline, Bill Moyers, Gwen Iffel, News Hour, Tavis Smiley, Charlie Rose, Independent Lens, BBC News. Great, great stuff.

It killed me to have all those commercial interruptions last night.

What did happen to the League of Women Voters?

[gore000408]

19. Americans view McCain as getting most positive coverage; Clinton most negative

Pew poll released today:



http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=412

[grantcart]

23. NPR announced that it was going to run a special analyzing the debate tonight

and then ran the entire debate without comment.

[cooolandrew]

26. If they are being defunded it maight be a drop in the ocean, but if you are ultra rich go for it....

Support this radio station real good people and the money will make a big difference. headonradionetwork.com