PBS chief decries efforts to cut federal funding

Associated Press ^ | Jul 21, 2012, 7:18 PM EDT | LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

[Hunton Peck]

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- PBS President Paula Kerger said Saturday she's disappointed public TV's federal funding again is under attack by lawmakers.

The move is ironic, she said, given the impressive number of Emmy Award nominations earned last week by PBS programs, including the popular drama "Downton Abbey." PBS received 58 nods, second only to HBO and CBS.

Public television gets 15 percent of its money from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with the rest largely contributed by viewers, Kerger told a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

But some stations would lose more than half their money if funds are cut, and a number of them will be forced to "go dark," she said.

A loss of federal dollars "would eliminate public broadcasting in areas I know it's tremendously used," Kerger said. She cited a small Cookeville, Tenn., station that has...

[Hunton Peck]

It's awe-inspiring, really, how they manage to simultaneously claim that such a small percentage of their funding is taken involuntarily from taxpayers, and yet that the loss of that meager bit of funding would be devastating.

[Vince Ferrer]

The move is ironic, she said, given the impressive number of Emmy Award nominations earned last week by PBS programs

Well, then you are good enough to go sell soap and Ginsu knives like everyone else.

It burns me that some people actually get a superiority kick for being a pig at a trough.

[ClearCase_guy]

It's no secret that PBS has been hard left for decades -- but in the past, they've at least made an effort to appear slightly objective.

Under Obama, and after the Tea Party, all that went out the window. These people know what will happen in Republicans come back into power. They don't want that. Their political coverage now comes straight out of the White House. Anything Democrat is double-plus good. Anything else is just bad, stupid, un-American and laughable.

And still they will smile and say "We're completely unbiased."

[Drango]

??? Strange article? Only people against defunding are quoted. Oh it’s the AP.

[JRandomFreeper]

LOL! Cry me a river Paula.

/johnny

[jjotto]

They manage to avoid mentioning funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities and plenty of other fed sources including free broadcast frequencies, nor do they mention money from states.

Sesame Street is worth a billion dollars; Red Green, Garrison Keillor and other shows are worth millions each. They should pay for ALL of ‘public’ television and radio themselves if their calling is so noble.

[Gabrial]

Taxpayer funds should never be used to sponsor radio or TV content. Period. Having government’s hand in programming is a very bad idea.

[Safetgiver]

Kerger said it’s “disappointing to me when you look at the value the American public places” on PBS....Yeah, none.

[animal172]

Which part of we are broke do they not understand?

[Dosa26]

I sort of like it to hear the enimies plans

[bravo whiskey]

we have a news pubic radio station and a classical music public radio station in denver. i listen to the classical station a lot. one thing funny is the way they say they don’t do commercials (having people pay us to run ads is so beneath us) but they run spots for companies that “donate” enough money. no difference both are voluntary exchange of money but the spots make them feel superior to all the other stations.

[ex91B10]

"Well, then you are good enough to go sell soap and Ginsu knives like everyone else. "

They already air 'infomercials' masquarading as 'specials' during their fund raisers. And for 'commercial free t.v., they sure have a lot of them under the guise of "this programming bought to you by...."

[Gabrial]

If free, I agree. I just don’t want to be forced to pay for it!

[Timmy]

Downtown Abbey isn’t made by PBS. They simply show it in the US. It’s shameless that she lists it as a success.

[Hunton Peck]

Thanks for pointing that out! I had no idea (not having been a PBS viewer for a good decade or so).

[Iron Munro]

PBS didn't earn those Emmy nominations.
Those nominations belong to the people who built PBS.
They drive to work on the roads we built and use the electricity that belongs to everyone.

Just ask Premier Obamaski

[PapaBear3625]

Public television gets 15 percent of its money from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting,

They may get 15% directly, they probably get a lot of their budget indirectly from the federal government.

[LostInBayport]

Downtown Abbey isn’t made by PBS. They simply show it in the US. It’s shameless that she lists it as a success.

Right...it is a British series that PBS airs. For those of us who don't watch broadcast TV, it can be purchased on DVD. PBS has the distribution rights, I'm guessing (their logo is on the DVD), so taking credit for its commercial success here is as you said, shameless and completely disingenuous. Kind of like PBS' "balance".

[RightWingConspirator]

When I first moved to the Austin, TX, area I used to listen to the local PBS station’s music on my way to work. But every quarter they had a week-long beg-a-thon that became so irritating that I finally quit listening to the station.

[dalereed]

I’m for anything that will put PBS off the air hopefully PERMINATLY!!!!