PBS Save Children's Programs
Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 12:01 CDT
When public broadcasting was created in Jacksonville about 40 years ago, it was an educational oasis in a vast wasteland. There were just three commercial networks and few cultural or educational programs.
Now it seems an anachronism to have tax dollars subsidizing a TV network in an era of multiple cable channels and Web casting. Americans are willing to pay for cable TV and, increasingly, for satellite radio. There is no reason to ask for handouts from taxpayers.
However, as the federal government pulls out of the broadcasting business, it should do so in a planned, organized way, giving public broadcasting stations time to adjust.
Cuts of 25 percent to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting had been proposed in the House of Representatives recently. The House later rescinded the cuts. Also targeted is some of the programming that makes public broadcasting unique -- elimination of all Ready to Learn Programs, which provide books to parents of disadvantaged children. The Bush administration supported funding of Ready to Learn, reported a fact sheet from WJCT TV-7.
Meanwhile, public broadcasting is under attack for its alleged political bias. While PBS programs have been accused of being overly liberal, the current chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been attacked for his conservative connections. That is another reason to remove it from direct federal funding. It should be noted, however, that public broadcasting has appointed several ombudsmen, a move that is long overdue at the major broadcast news networks.
Public broadcasting has been an asset to the Jacksonville community. It has been based on three sources of funding: individual donors, corporate sponsors and government support. As The Associated Press reported, PBS receives about 15 percent of its funding from the federal government.
It is time for the stations to develop other funding sources to replace tax dollars, but it should be done in a more orderly way. And support for children's programming should be the last item to be removed.
Source: Florida Times Union
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