ARRA News Service
News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles. Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used.
Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year]
Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006)
    Home Page
   

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)

Monday, March 06, 2017

PBS & NPR: Cutting the Cord

by Peter Hong: Recall the flak Mitt Romney took in 2012 for declaring war on Big Bird when the candidate suggested that he would cut federal subsidies for PBS? Well, Sesame Street may be on HBO now, but the fight over defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is being rekindled. And it’s about time.

The CPB was incorporated fifty years ago as a private, nonprofit corporation; in fact, its website proudly proclaims it as “A Private Corporation Funded by the American People.” (emphasis mine)

The CPB was created at a time when broadcasting options in America were limited. In 1967, before cable and the Internet, most Americans had access to only ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Today, the average U.S. household receives nearly 200 TV channels, not including a glut of terrestrial and online listening and viewing options.

In spite of this record-breaking broadcasting surplus, NPR and PBS still receive over $400 million in federal funding each year. This is particularly galling, given that America’s gross national debt as a percentage of GDP has nearly tripled from 38 percent to 106 percent over the life of publicly subsidized broadcasting.

Federal funding not only comes from taxpayers, but gives NPR and PBS a built-in advantage over their competitors when it comes to raising money. Yes, like their “commercial” brethren, publicly subsidized broadcasters unabashedly sell sponsorships to corporations (horror of horrors) and foundations. And, as anyone who has sat through a PBS fundraising campaign knows, they raise individual contributions from “viewers like you.”

Confession time: I use publicly subsidized broadcasting. I watch documentaries on PBS, and listen to “A Prairie Home Companion” and old time radio shows on NPR. I even listen to the drive time “news” shows when the bias does not lead me to drive off the road.

I also pay for it by giving money to my local PBS and NPR affiliates, which allows me to show off my gift tote bag without guilt. After all, payment for services or goods that I choose to use is the American way.

The problem is you’re paying for it too, whether you use the products and get the tote bag or not. To the tune of about half a billion dollars a year, your tax dollars pay for a product that you may not use, simply because you’re not interested in the auctioning off of the original mold used to make penicillin.

Or you may actually find some of the content offensive or insufferably biased. Consider this NPR annotation of President Trump’s recent address to Congress, which reads more like talking points from the DNC than a news report. Appropriate for Rachel Maddow or progressive talk radio — absolutely! But this time, your tax dollars paid for it.

In a 2012 report, “Alternative Sources of Funding for Public Broadcasting Stations,” the CPB stated that ending federal funding for publicly subsidized broadcasting would severely diminish, if not destroy, public broadcasting service in the United States. That’s right: the CPB actually argues that it cannot make up for any loss in federal funding — no matter how many tote bags they offer.

Yet, according to its own published “Audience Profile,” NPR brags to commercial sponsors that its audience skews heavily toward the wealthy and powerful. NPR listeners are:
  • 74 percent more likely than other Americans to earn greater than $100,000 in annual income;
  • 133 percent more likely than other Americans to be top management; and
  • 148 percent more likely than other Americans to be C-Suite executives.
In other words, you may not watch PBS or listen to NPR, but your boss might and your boss’ boss probably does. And the CPB wants you to keep paying for them.

U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) has reintroduced legislation (H.R. 726 and H.R. 727), which would defund the CPB and NPR. Upon introducing the legislation, Lamborn said, “Republicans and the new Administration need to demonstrate that we take our fiscal responsibility seriously. American taxpayers do not want their hard-earned dollars funding superfluous government programs just because that is the way things have always been done.”

Also circulating are reports that the Trump Administration plans to ax federal funding for publicly subsidized broadcasting. In other words, help may be on the way, beleaguered taxpayer!

In his address to Congress, President Trump proclaimed “the time for small thinking is over.” Publicly subsidized television and radio in an era of cable, Internet, and record deficits is an early and easy test of this declaration.

Are Republicans prepared to cut the cord?
-------------
Peter Hong is a contributing reporter at Americans for Limited Government blog.

Tags: PBS, NPR, Cutting the Cord, Americans for Limited Government, Peter Hong To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 2:23 PM - Post Link

2 Comments:

Anonymous Bill Widner said...

I am not a regular listener to PBS. I occaisionally will listen when I am in the car and just scanning the stations for something to listen to. I have wondered for the last 15 years why we subsidize PBS & NPR when there are so many options out there. The only time I actually watch NPR is when they have a pledge drive. They have some real ass-kicking entertainment during those times Great Music, great Celtic dancers, Comic routines that put you rolling in the floor. The rest of the time, nada. Puts you right to sleep. Let's pull the funding for PBS & NPR, and put that money to use in some other positive use, without a plethora of government regulations.

3/06/2017  
Anonymous Melonaie Gullick‏ said...

NPR & PBS should NOT be funded from tax dollars. Support HR 726 & 727 to cut the cord.

3/14/2017  

Post a Comment

<< Home


View U.S. National Debt

Don't miss anything!
Subscribe to the
ARRA News Service
It's FREE & No Ads!

You will receive a verification email
& must validate you subscribed!

You Then Receive One Email Each AM
With Prior Days Articles / Toons / More


Also, Join & leave conservative posts & comments on
Facebook.com/ARRANewsService


Recent Posts:
Personal Tweets by the editor:
Dr. Bill - OzarkGuru - @arra
#Christian Conservative; Retired USAF & Grad Professor. Constitution NRA ProLife schoolchoice fairtax - Editor ARRA NEWS SERVICE. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!

Action Links!
State Upper & Lower House Members
State Attorney Generals
State Governors
The White House
US House of Representatives
US Senators
GrassFire
NumbersUSA
Ballotpedia

Facebook Accts - Dr. Bill Smith
Pages:
ARRA News Service
Arkansans Against Big Government
Alley-White Am. Legion #52
Catholics & Protestants United Against Discrimination
End Taxpayer Funding of NPR
Overturn Roe V. Wade
Prolife Soldiers
Project Wildfire 4 Life
Republican Liberty Caucus of Arkansas
The Gold Standard
US Atty Gen Loretta Lynch, aka Eric Holder, Must Go
Veterans for Sarah Palin
Why Vote for Hillary (Satire)
FB Groups:
Arkansas For Sarah Palin
Arkansas Conservative Caucus
Arkansas County Tea Party
Arkansans' Discussion Group on National Issues
Blogs for Borders
Conservative Solutions
Conservative Voices
Defend Marriage -- Arkansas
FairTax
FairTax Nation
Arkansas for FairTax
Friends of the TEA Party in Arkansas
Freedom Roundtable
Pro-Life Rocks - Arkansas
Republican Network
Republican Liberty Caucus of AR
Reject the U.N.

Patriots
Exchange
Links

Request Via
Article Comment

Links to ARRA News
A Patriotic Nurse
Agora Associates
a12iggymom's Blog
America, You Asked For It!
America's Best Choice
ARRA News Twitter
As The Crackerhead Crumbles
Blogs For Borders
Blogs for Palin
Blow the Trumpet Ministry
Boot Berryism
Cap'n Bob & the Damsel
Chicago Ray Report - Obama Regime Report
Chuck Baldwin - links
Common Cents
Conservative Voices
Diana's Corner
Greater Fitchburg For Life
Lasting Liberty Blog
Liberal Isn't Amy
Marathon Pundit
Patriot's Corner
Right on Issues that Matter
Right Reason
Rocking on the Right Side
Saber Point
Saline Watchdog
Sultan Knish
The Blue Eye View
The Born Again Americans
TEA Party Cartoons
The Foxhole | Unapologetic Patriot
The Liberty Republican
The O Word
The Path to Tyranny Blog
The Real Polichick
The War on Guns
TOTUS
Twitter @ARRA
Underground Notes
Warning Signs
Women's Prayer & Action
WyBlog

Editor's Managed Twitter Accounts
Twitter Dr. Bill Smith @arra
Twitter Arkansas @GOPNetwork
Twitter @BootBerryism
Twitter @SovereignAllies
Twitter @FairTaxNation

Editor's Recommended Orgs
Accuracy in Media (AIM)
American Action Forum (AAF)
American Committment
American Culture & Faith Institute
American Enterprise Institute
American Family Business Institute
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
American Security Council Fdn
AR Faith & Ethics Council
Arkansas Policy Foundation
Ayn Rand Institute
Bill of Rights Institute
Campaign for Working Families
CATO Institute
Center for Individual Freedom
Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Just Society
Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Citizens Against Gov't Waste
Citizens in Charge Foundstion
Coalition for the Future American Worker
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Concerned Veterans for America
Concerned Women for America
Declaration of Am. Renewal
Eagle Forum
FairTax
Family Research Council
Family Security Matters
Franklin Center for Gov't & Public Integrity
Freedom Works
Gingrich Productions
Global Incident Map
Great Americans
Gold Standard 2012 Project
Gun Owners of America (GOA)
Heritage Action for America
David Horowitz Freedom Center
Institute For Justice
Institute for Truth in Accounting
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Judicial Watch
Less Government
Media Reseach Center
National Center for Policy Analysis
National Right To Work Foundation
National Rifle Association (NRA)
National Rifle Association (NRA-ILA)
News Busters
O'Bluejacket's Patriotic Flicks
OathKeepers
Open Secrets
Presidential Prayer Team
Religious Freedom Coalition
Renew America
Ron Paul Institute
State Policy Network
Tax Foundation
Tax Policy Center
The Club for Growth
The Federalist
The Gold Standard Now
The Heritage Foundation
The Leadership Institute
Truth in Accounting
Union Facts



Blogs For Borders

Reject the United Nations

Presidential Prayer Team

Thousands of Deadly Islamic Terror Attacks Since 9/11


FairTax Nation on FaceBook
Friends of Israel - Stand with Israel
Blog Feeds
Syndicated - Get the ARRA News Service feed Syndicated!
ARRA Blog Feed

Add to Google Reader or Homepage

Add to The Free Dictionary

Powered by Blogger


  • To Exchange Links - Email: editor@arranewsservice.com!
  • Comments by contributing authors or other sources do not necessarily reflect the position the editor, other contributing authors, sources, readers, or commenters. No contributors, or editors are paid for articles, images, cartoons, etc. While having reported on and promoting principles & beleifs beliefs of other organizations, this blog/site is soley controlled and supported by the editor. This site/blog does not advertise for money or services nor does it solicit funding for its support.
  • Fair Use: This site/blog may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as provided for in section Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Per said section, the material on this site/blog is distributed without profit to readers to view for the expressed purpose of viewing the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. Any person/entity seeking to use copyrighted material shared on this site/blog for purposes that go beyond "fair use," must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
  • © 2006 - 2020 ARRA News Service
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.