Posted on 10/13/2012 10:27:33 AM PDT by Drango
Two pubcasting fans in different cities who separately conceived plans for a “Million Muppet March” in support of public broadcasting have teamed up to try to organize the event on Nov. 3 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Michael Bellavia, 42, of Los Angeles, and Chris Mecham, 46, of Boise, Idaho, were watching the presidential debate on Oct. 3 when Republican nominee Mitt Romney said that he would end subsidies to PBS if elected.
Even before the debate ended, Bellavia had secured the URL millionmuppetmarch.com, and Mecham created the Million Muppet March Facebook page.
“We just merged the two into one effort,” said Bellavia, president of Animax Entertainment, an animation production studio in Los Angeles. Bellavia said Animax created the “Elmo’s Potty Time” game for Sesame Workshop in 2006.
As of midday Wednesday, the Facebook page had more than 11,000 “Likes.” Some 415 people indicated on the event page that they planned to go, with 151 more listed as possible attendees.
On the Facebook page, Mecham also shared a letter he’d received from Idaho Republican Congressman Mike Simpson, who said in part: “I am a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which is responsible for the funding of CPB. Rest assured, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Subcommittee to ensure CPB receives adequate funding.”
Bellavia said he invited PBS and Sesame Workshop to join the campaign, but each declined due to the political nature of the controversy. “We’d love it if all the people who work there could participate in some manner,” he said.
“We’re trying to stay as much out of politics as possible,” Bellavia added. “We’re just using the Muppets as opportunity to support public broadcasting.”
Mecham said that Sesame Street, Electric Company and Zoom were “a big part of my childhood.”
“The educational mission of public broadcasting is so important,” he said. “Everyone should have access to free educational TV over the air, without having to subscribe to cable. To me, it’s an issue of social justice and fairness.”
Mecham is pursuing a political science degree at Boise State University.
Neither of the two have event-planning experience. They’re in contact with the National Park Service to find out how to proceed.
The march has so far received some high-profile media attention, with mentions on HuffPost Live, NPR, CNN, TV Guide and the National Review.
NPR/PBS survive 'cause the GOP supports it.
Puppet Wars - The 1% Strikes Back!
Obviously these Muppet marchers do not have jobs as they can just take off for this protest and one would assume someone is paying for the trip to DC. It would be interesting to know who is bankrolling this project... my bet is the DNC or one of its shills is paying for the trip.
Obviously these Muppet marchers do not have jobs as they can just take off for this protest and one would assume someone is paying for the trip to DC. It would be interesting to know who is bankrolling this project... my bet is the DNC or one of its shills is paying for the trip.
The crazy thing about this is that PBS would do just fine if it wasn’t latched onto the public teat. National People’s Radio could be as left as it wanted to be and obtain private funding accordingly WITHOUT worrying about trying to appease conservatives.
If each of these million people really want to see PBS funded, they could each write an annual check for $445 to make it happen, right? Problem solved!
Dumbasses.
There sure are a lot of ah's around....so do they get paid for the work day....Oh...what work you say???
Occupy Sesame Street!
I thought Big Bird said he didn’t need government funds anyway.
We’re spending more than $1 trillion dollars per year we don’t have, and NPR/PBS thinks we don’t have enough information outlets without them getting government funds.
Talk about your clueless idiots...
Frankly, it has angered me for years to see the government fund the propaganda these agencies have been pumping out.
Good riddance...
Is Soros’ puppet 0bama going to attend?
Bump to Idaho.
Big Bird is a 1%er.
Mark
GARY KNELL - CEO SESAME ST. MADE $684,144 IN 2009 - 1% IN TAX PAYER FUNDED NON-PROFITS
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2943226/posts
It would be much easier for them to fork over 10 bucks apiece to PBS and keep their beloved big bird on the air for a while longer.
PBS is always having telethons, what do they do with that money? For a “network” that mainly shows only videos of pre-produced programs, maybe their a little heavy on employees.
Then I hear things like, “This program brought to you by the Exxon Corporation”, or whatever company...so, that means they are not only getting taxpayer money and viewer donations, but also are selling sponsorships.
How many folks does it take at PBS to run a DVD player?
If these million people would just go buy an Elmo toy, any funding cut by government would be replaced by their own contribution. But that would be private enterprise, we can’t have that.
At the public tv network I was at, you would be amazed at the effort it took to get tape or DVD to play back on time with the fortune spent on worthless Louth automation.
As for money on personnel, my organization was (still is from what I hear) absurdly lopsided with management. There was always money for a new mgt position that almost no one who worked there ever got. A favorite would once in a while.
As far as raises for working people, fat chance. After a long string of games and lies, I finally said lawsuit and veterans status. Most of the lowly engineering staff got upgraded. That was probably to appease the masses.
It’s “social justice and fairness” that we fleece taxpayers from here to Kingdom come to pay for an enterprise that could clearly prosper in the competitive marketplace. Where’s the justice for us that are forced to pay for “Children’s TV Workshop” against our will?
Typical skull full of mush talk. Get back to me, kid, when you are off Daddy’s payroll, earning a living on your own, and the biggest expense item in your budget by far is TAXES.
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