Monday 15 October 2012

 
PBS belongs to the people  (Sun Sentinel Oct 15)       
        Government funding of PBS (a private company) is complex and cicuitous. A better example would be CPB, which does get a direct government appropriation - and which funds PBS in several ways.  Cutting CPB would do the most damage to local public radio and television stations, which get the lion's share of their appropriation.
        The real question is why these kind of subsidies are all dealt with piece-meal and separately: why is no one saying cut all corporate welfare, including payments, allowances and deductions for banks, airlines, agribusiness, oil, gas, theaters, opera houses and PBS.  The reason is, we have gotten used to lobbyists convincing government to take our tax dollars and give them to their mates or their pet causes.
        If PBS and local public Radio and TV stations get a cut in their public funds, they will find another business model, just as oil and gas companies or agribusinesses would.  Some local stations, especailly in smaller communities, may go belly up.  I doubt that many oil, gas and agribusinesses will, though they may have to get up off their backsides and work a little harder for their living.

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