| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
17 Jun 2005 11:24:15 AM |
| Object: |
The impending fascist destruction of public broadcasting |
Funds for public television's "Ready to Learn" programs -- shows like
"Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Postcards From Buster" -- are
on the chopping block.
This is "ideological extremism that threatens to maim a treasured
institution," Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said.
"The Public Broadcasting System represents the last stronghold of
quality child-oriented programming. Does the Republican Party really
want to give Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and Clifford The Big Red Dog
the ax?" he asked.
Supporters of the measure said the cuts were driven by a difficult
fiscal situation, not partisanship.
But National Public Radio's executive vice president, Ken Stern, said
the measure could have a dramatic effect on small radio stations with
audiences that lack the financial means to make up the shortfall
through local donations.
"For rural and minority stations, many of them may not be able to
survive the cuts," Stern said.
"This could be devastating."
The proposed cuts come amid growing turmoil at the corporation.
In recent months, Kenneth Tomlinson, the Republican chairman of CPB's
board of directors, has aggressively pushed to add more conservative
programming at PBS, saying he believes the system suffers from
political lopsidedness.
He hired a consultant last year to monitor the content of a public
affairs program anchored by Bill Moyers, and the New York Times
reported Thursday that Tomlinson and his predecessor gave contracts to
two Republican lobbyists last year without informing the rest of the
board.
The contracts are being investigated by the CPB's inspector general,
Kenneth A. Konz, who launched an inquiry into Tomlinson's practices at
the request of two Democratic congressmen, David R. Obey of Wisconsin
and John D. Dingell of Michigan.
CPB spokesman Eben Peck said Tomlinson would have no comment while the
investigation was in progress.
But Dingell said that the hiring of the two lobbyists -- who
reportedly provided advice on a bill Tomlinson opposed that would have
given stations more representation on the CPB board -- demonstrated
that the chairman was misusing his position.
"The fact that these contracts were made secretly suggests the CPB
leadership is trying to hide its political agenda," he said in a
statement.
Ernest J. Wilson III, a Democratic member of the corporation's board,
called the handling of the lobbyist contracts unprecedented, saying he
had only learned of them Thursday.
"If it's the way it was described, it certainly should have been
brought before the whole board," Wilson said in an interview with the
Los Angeles Times.
He and other public broadcasting officials said Tomlinson had
undermined the corporation's traditional role as a political buffer
and diverted attention from the financial pressures on the system.
"I think his tenure has been disruptive," Wilson said.
"By concentrating on a narrow personal agenda, he is misdirecting
attention away from those things that are the great contributions of
public broadcasting, to a narrow nonissue."
Ruth Seymour, general manager of Santa Monica's KCRW-FM (89.3), said
the station would begin running a series of 30second spots hourly
today to warn listeners that public broadcasting was facing "a
two-front attack in Washington."
"We're going to fight," she said.
From The Los Angeles Times, 6/17/05:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cpb17jun17,1,1166164.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true
Public Broadcasting Funds May Be Halved
A House measure would reduce federal support by 46% next year.
By Matea Gold and Jube Shiver, Times Staff Writers
WASHINGTON --
Public television and radio broadcasters are bracing for their most
difficult budget battle in a decade as the House considers a measure
that would slash more than $200 million from national programming,
educational grants and local station operations.
Late Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that
would reduce next year's federal allocation to public broadcasting by
46%.
The measure would cut $100 million from next year's budget of the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the private nonprofit that
distributes federal funds to local stations.
The CPB funds make up about 15% of public broadcasting revenue.
Money earmarked to help local stations undergo digital conversion and
to upgrade PBS' satellite system would also be cut.
And funds for public television's "Ready to Learn" programs -- shows
like "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Postcards From Buster" --
are on the chopping block.
The full House is expected to take up the bill next week.
The measure will get resolved later in the summer, when the House and
Senate meet to reconcile budget legislation.
Public broadcasters said the proposed cuts represented the greatest
threat to the stability of public television and radio since 1995,
when then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich attempted to eliminate federal
financing of the system.
"We see this as a direct attack on public broadcasting in America,"
said John Lawson, president of the Assn. of Public Television
Stations.
_________________________________________________________
I'm sure that all this comes as no surprise to most of you. Just
another example of the fascism creeping across America.
Harry
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| User: "Geo" |
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| Title: Re: The impending fascist destruction of public broadcasting |
17 Jun 2005 12:48:15 PM |
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Harry Hope wrote:
Funds for public television's "Ready to Learn" programs -- shows like
"Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Postcards From Buster" -- are
on the chopping block.
Since Harry won't do it, can someone who knows something about the
Constitution (that rules out odorous rex) tell me where the
Constitutional mandate for "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and
"Postcards From Buster" appears?
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| User: "ouroboros rex" |
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| Title: Re: The impending fascist destruction of public broadcasting |
17 Jun 2005 01:12:19 PM |
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"Geo" <taxpayer779@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1119030495.406953.246050@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Harry Hope wrote:
Funds for public television's "Ready to Learn" programs -- shows like
"Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Postcards From Buster" -- are
on the chopping block.
Since Harry won't do it, can someone who knows something about the
Constitution (that rules out odorous rex) tell me where the
Constitutional mandate for "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and
"Postcards From Buster" appears?
Sure, right after you tell us where the law is that states every function
of covernment must be found directly in the US constitution, idiot.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: The impending fascist destruction of public broadcasting |
19 Jun 2005 01:24:42 AM |
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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 16:24:15 GMT, Harry Hope <rivrvu@ix.netcom.com>
wrote:
I'm sure that all this comes as no surprise to most of you. Just
another example of the fascism creeping across America.
Folks, if Harry is AGAINST something then every patriotic American who
cares about the future of our country should be 100% FOR IT. Harry
stands for everything that is anti-American and Un-American in America
today. He and his kind are a clear and present danger in our midst. He
is no better than a terrorist suicide bomber. If he could afford the
airfare to one of the countries supporting the al Qaeda he might even
become a suicide bomber. Who else but Harry rejoices in singing the
praises of our enemies by gleefully announcing the number of American
soldiers killed by terrorist each day....
Harry
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| User: "Joe Lunchpail" |
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| Title: Re: The impending fascist destruction of public broadcasting |
17 Jun 2005 12:32:10 PM |
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Why should shows like Sesame Street continue to be subsidized by the
taxpayer when boatloads of children's educational programming exists
and does well on a variety of channels on cable and digital TV?
Further, Sesame Street is very successful commercially.
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| User: "ouroboros rex" |
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| Title: Re: The impending fascist destruction of public broadcasting |
17 Jun 2005 01:11:19 PM |
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"Joe Lunchpail" <joelunchpail2001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1119029530.936667.74060@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Why should shows like Sesame Street continue to be subsidized by the
taxpayer when boatloads of children's educational programming exists
and does well on a variety of channels on cable and digital TV?
Free access, dim bulb.
Further, Sesame Street is very successful commercially.
Yep, the concept of real public service is foreign to republicans.
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