Two PBS-related items of interest.
-Last year when PBS announced the retirement of Bill Moyers and theinexplicable cancellation of the excellent Now program, word came that some public TV stations would be airing a program produced by(yes, this is a real thing) the George W. Bush Institute. The show, Ideas in Action, is host by James Glassman; as FAIR noted, he is
a longtime fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, is perhaps best known for his remarkably optimistic–and wrong–book Dow 36,000. He also regularly penned op-eds for major U.S. newspapers that pushed views and policies that would directly benefit sponsors of his online news site, TechCentralStation.com (Extra!, 3-4/05).
According to a report at the Politico (8/18/10), Glassman’s show will air Sunday mornings on WHUT and on Maryland Public Television (MPT).
–The PBS program Nightly Business Report, produced by a public station in Miami, has been sold to “a private company headed by Mykalai Kontilai, a former manager of mixed martial artists,” according to a report in the New York Times. The Times notes that the show “has struggled recently to find enough corporate underwriting sponsors,” so presumably the new owners think they can do that. The show will continue to be produced at the Miami public station WPBT.
The arrangement is somewhat puzzling: aprivate company now takes ownershipof a public TV program, and will apparently solicit private corporate sponsors foran important”public television”show. Then again, the PBS flagshipNewsHour newscast is a project of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, and the majority owneris Liberty Media, the companyrun by conservative media mogul JohnMalone.
We sure miss NOW and Bill Moyers. PBS appears to have left us without a Friday night venue. We are left with Brooks and Shields. I have switched over to MSNBC and now watch Rachel Maddow.
Rachel Maddow IS GOOD VIEWING AS IS KEITH OLBERMANN.
However if you want good honest viewing watch Democracy Now. They give the best and honest news any where, period!!
I stopped donating to PBS when the Mobil ads starting showing. I don’t think my paltry sum is missed much, but perhaps if more people started holding PBS accountable something will change. Meanwhile, I breathe normally–no holding my breath here.
PBS has become just another corporate outlet. I gave up watching PBS as soon as the corporations started sponsoring programs.
PBS/NPR has mostly abandoned its progressive listeners a long time ago. They bring in enough with their conservative foundations and the listeners who don’t want to hear anything uncomfortable. Public broadcasting bends over backwards to keep things comfortable and as guilt-free as they can make it for their loyal listeners.
Now I wonder if NPR/PBS should be the choice to hold the front seat chair at presidental news confrences, recently vacated (forced out) by Ms. Helen Thomas, when I’ve heard the FOX was their competitor. If FOX is the right-wing of the conservatives, NPR/PBS is the right wing of the bougeoise..what’s the difference? I support The Nation or Monthy Review or Democracy Now!
PBS blew the mission years ago when they decided that not offending republican (oxymoronic) intellectuals would be their main guideline.
Essentially everybody here is correct. And this is no time to give up. There are models and local solutions to the public media problem that you have not heard about from our friends at Free Press that ultimately have little to do with the latest technology or funding. A US Social Forum 2010 workshop I co-created concerning community control of public media was attended by a diverse, capacity crowd. Here are a couple of related articles —
*** A Neutral Network Alone Will Not Build a Just Media System for Us and Neither Will Professional Journalists: Control of Public Media as a Social Justice Issue — by: Scott Sanders and James Owens,
t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed http://www.truth-out.org/control-public-media-a-social-justice-issue57713
*** Elite Control or Community Governance of Public Service Media: Which Will it Be? — by Scott Sanders http://www.media-ocracy.com/?p=1049
When I returned to GA in 2004, after 23 years of living in NYC, I was astonished to discover that not only was the PBS affiliate here (GPB) showing a significantly different program schedule, but at times seemed to actually edit controversial live broadcasts in real time.
More than once during a live broadcast, right as a guest was about to make a critical remark I wished to hear regarding statistical data supporting their position, the feed was disrupted as if someone in Atlanta had their finger on a switch. The picture would return as soon as the offending(?) comment had passed. I kid you not! On at least one instance it was presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. It also seems as if it happened to Ralph Nader mid-interview. Needless to say, I found such moments to be highly disturbing.
The national PBS feed was also rearranged. For example, instead of Moyers preceded by NOW appearing at it’s regularly scheduled live, prime-time slot on Friday, then again repeated two other times on Sunday afternoon and 1:00 am Tuesday morning, the GPB BoD in their wisdom decided the air these shows only ONCE a week on Sunday beginning at 2:30, in the heart of normal family activity for that day. If anyone is watching TV at that time around here, you can be sure it is tuned into seasonal sports programming, (i.e.–NASCAR, NFL, NBA but especially PGA)
Many times when airing certain episodes of contractually obligated programs of news analysis such as NOVA, or American Experience, whose content some may feel is occasionally provocative, GPB would substitute earlier versions of the program with a more happy, feel good theme. Other times the offending theme of the week was pre-empted altogether and replaced with yet another airing of Historic Football Stadiums, Famous Hot Dog Stands or some such. I am not making this up!
When it came to the excellent diversity of news programming found on the many PBS affiliates surrounding NYC, shows I appreciated watching for perspective like the Christian Science sponsored news report, International Network News (INN), BBC News, even Bloomberg sometimes, and also independent productions such as The Defense Monitor, upon my moving were not to be found. And you can forget Amy Goodman, unless you watch online or have a satellite provider.
I’ve often wondered if other Red states experience what I see as proactive political censorship?
I’m sorry to say it’s still going on in GA today.
WHUT TF? Need to Blow? They’re all Corporations in Public Broadcasting!
Unfortunately, I have to fully agree with the comments about the detrioration of PBS, and furtunately about the excellence of Democracy Now. Also, I’ve often wondered why PBS stations beg for weeks on end, every two/three months or so for my contribution when they have all these private corporations sponsoring their programs. How’s the money being used?
A travesty that Bill Moyers was axed. And doubly bad that it was replaced by the “Bush Institute”. How sad! How can we mount a protest?
Remember, PBS is a corporation and we should expect it to be right wing. We need a replacement for PBS, one run by the citizens. Also note that I have been attempting to get my local pbs stations to air Democracy Now for years.
Joan Slezak Fritz Says:Also note that I have been attempting to get my local pbs stations to air Democracy Now for years.
If you have satellite you can get Democracy Now on dish channel 9415 or Directv channel 348, but only in hd (Directv)
I simply do not watch NBC, CBS or ABC for their news broadcasts. Democracy Now has the best and unbiased news broadcast on television.
Also BBC is not bad either as is Aljazeera tv. Both are independent tv stations.
Joan Slezak fritz
If you mean PBS is a SUCCESSFUL corporation ,and that is why it is right wing…… im with ya.Democracy now would be great thing to watch crash and burn.I of course would love it. Hey Everybody is welcome in the pool………..BUT AT NO EXPENSE TO THE TAXPAYERS!Did you get that loud and clear?
the death of pbs and npr is one of the most depressing parts of the bush era decline of the u.s.
it is so obvious that time slots are being used (over and over) for commercial and corporate cronies, and keeping company with such shallow elite-wannabe fundraisers is truly impossible for me.
the saddest parts of all are the children’s shows! watching or listening to any of it might cause retardation in my view. i used to watch pbs with my son when he was young. it’s like poison now, and i feel bad that some parents may still believe it’s not commercial but educational tv. it IS commercial tv but phoney, too, which you could say is worse!
As to the comment above by Blaine White: While in Florida in 2006, listening to their public radio station near Sarasota, it was the most bizarre radio programming i had ever heard. It sounded like some junior high school kids had gotten into the studio. It was truly messed up and absurd.
Later, in New Hampshire in 2007, while listening to NPR one weekend, there seemed to be real distortions of the Garrison Keillor show as well as a newshow which followed it. Odd stuff, truly.
In both cases, it seemed like sabotage very definitely, but I never noticed or listened enough to substantiate how long or constantly this type of thing happened.
Only in 2008 did i really notice how bad and in general at all times both npr and pbs had become, and I hardly can bare to watch or listen at all to any of it.
Bill moyers was almost the last show i could turn to pbs for, although i have enjoyed much of Independent Lens. The Charlie Rose show seems to have enough corporate sponsorship to run an army, and it truly makes me sick to see the list! And is Charlie Rose a Bilderberger, as i have read?
public tv and radio are ruined just like the rest of most everything- by corporate criminals who now own every airwave to spread their horrid ideology.
Everything public has been stolen or privatized- by the same selfish nincompoops who used to bitch about a small amount of public funding! Now they get the public funding AND are making profit for themselves at once, or at least being employed – with the public assets!
It’s insane and totally useful for destroying democracy- like all other politics and economics these days.