Should PBS aka Channel 13 in NYC area continue to get government funding?

[MTARegional Bus]

The only Problem is Federal government contributions to PBS is only $400 million that is 1% of the Federal budget, that's the same kind of money that the pentagon spends every 6 hours so it wouldn't make a dent in lowing the federal budget, so why does Mitt he want to get rip off the funding? kind of odd don't you think.

 

I know that I a lot of you are saying that we don't need PBS and the people that watch it are kids, but guess what my dad watches it, he loves hes live oldies drive with the live performances but it's not just my dad but the people that don't have cable or satellite and just want to watch good quality programming without the need for commercial or the BS that comes with a network channels.

 

And does mitt want to cut next the USPS? I know you guys are would hate that even if the service in some area are bad people will need it.

[DJ MC]

The only Problem is Federal government contributions to PBS is only $400 million that is 1% of the Federal budget, that's the same kind of money that the pentagon spends every 6 hours so it wouldn't make a dent in lowing the federal budget, so why does Mitt he want to get rip off the funding? kind of odd don't you think.

 

I know that I a lot of you are saying that we don't need PBS and the people that watch it are kids, but guess what my dad watches it, he loves hes live oldies drive with the live performances but it's not just my dad but the people that don't have cable or satellite and just want to watch good quality programming without the need for commercial or the BS that comes with a network channels.

 

And does mitt want to cut next the USPS? I know you guys are would hate that even if the service in some area are bad people will need it.

 

 

It's actually around $440-450 million. But your right regardless.

[MHV9218]

Can we just try something interesting here, like facts, instead of all the bull that came out of Mitt's mouth Wednesday night? PBS isn't directly funded by the government. There's a thing called the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, that's where money goes. But that money doesn't go to PBS, it goes to various other stations. Mitt's just talking out of his as$ here, not to mention this notion that cutting $400 million is going to have any effect whatsoever on the country besides annoying kids and old people is ridiculous.

 

Hate to say it, but Nah - that channel has ran its course.... I pretty much agree w/ GC.... Kids don't watch those type of shows anymore (the sesame street's, etc.); they're too involved with video games & the opposite sex.....

 

Dunno about you but I don't think anybody who's old enough to be chasing girls (anywhere from what, 11-12 and up) is watching Sesame Street. That's an infant to 3, 4, 5 year old's show, just pure kid television, and they still watch it.

 

It comes down to priorities and public TV is far less important when you have 23 million Americans unemployed. Would you rather your parents be working or would you rather your parents be unemployed but you being able to watch public television??

 

 

Oh, give it up with this "priorities" guilt...eliminating funding for something as tiny as PBS would do absolutely nothing to help unemployment, and somebody with an education like you should be able to do the arithmetic to know that. [it's closer to 12 million, btw, it's a 7.8% rate, not 15%...]

[B35 via Church]

Dunno about you but I don't think anybody who's old enough to be chasing girls (anywhere from what, 11-12 and up) is watching Sesame Street.

 

That's an infant to 3, 4, 5 year old's show, just pure kid television, and they still watch it.

 

Yeah, today's 11-12 year olds aint watching sesame street.....

What I'm getting at is, there were more kids around that age range that watched sesame street back then.....

 

Telling me the show is for < 5 year olds is much ado about nothing.... It aint only kids in those age ranges that watched the show.....

[MHV9218]

Yeah, today's 11-12 year olds aint watching sesame street.....

What I'm getting at is, there were more kids around that age range that watched sesame street back then.....

 

Telling me the show is for < 5 year olds is much ado about nothing.... It aint only kids in those age ranges that watched the show.....

 

Yeah? Maybe you're right, never thought that was a young adult (or youth or tween or whatever they call it these days) kind of show. Regardless, it's so little money anyway, it's just ridiculous Romney can't come up with a bigger thing to cut out of our trillions being spent that Sesame Street...

[Shortline Bus]

Yeah, today's 11-12 year olds aint watching sesame street.....

What I'm getting at is, there were more kids around that age range that watched sesame street back then.....

 

Telling me the show is for < 5 year olds is much ado about nothing.... It aint only kids in those age ranges that watched the show.....

 

Correction. Yes its true 90% of Sesame Street audience aka demographics are young kids between ages 4-10. However all age groups watch it. There a reason Sesame Street has been on the air for nearly 45 years and has created dozens of spinoffs in dozens of other countries worldwide. To this day, Sesame Street still is the most succesful tv show targeted for Kindergarden/early grade school of all time.

[B35 via Church]

Yeah? Maybe you're right, never thought that was a young adult (or youth or tween or whatever they call it these days) kind of show. Regardless, it's so little money anyway, it's just ridiculous Romney can't come up with a bigger thing to cut out of our trillions being spent that Sesame Street...

 

I'm not worried with what Romney suggests, nor was my original commentary about this topic predicated on what he said....

Regardless, I don't disagree w/ that last statement you made.....

 

 

Correction. Yes its true 90% of Sesame Street audience aka demographics are young kids between ages 4-10. However all age groups watch it. There a reason Sesame Street has been on the air for nearly 45 years and has created dozens of spinoffs in dozens of other countries worldwide. To this day, Sesame Street still is the most succesful tv show targeted for Kindergarden/early grade school of all time.

 

.....which was never in doubt.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Being fair VG8 playing devils adovcate. What about fact that in Canada (CBC) and Britian(BBC) their federal governments owns those channels and charges taxpayers alot for those networks?

 

 

Being fair, those countries aren't borrowing from China like we are. I'm sorry, but there are far more important things to worry about than PBS. If funding must be cut to it to allow for more creation of jobs and no more borrowing from China then so be it. As I said before, if you have more Americans working, then you have a larger tax base which means Big Bird stays around. Besides if it's only $400 million or so then surely they can make up the difference through fundraising like they do now.

[error46146]

PBS doesnt run itself.. there are thousands of people employed working for PBS stations.. if you cut PBS you are cutting the jobs of those who are working for PBS, therefore increasing unemployment... Where will the PBS employees work once PBS funding is cut???

[Via Garibaldi 8]

PBS doesnt run itself.. there are thousands of people employed working for PBS stations.. if you cut PBS you are cutting the jobs of those who are working for PBS, therefore increasing unemployment... Where will the PBS employees work once PBS funding is cut???

 

 

PBS receives funding from different places. There was a PBS worker on FOX the other morning that stated that they would simply have to go out and fundraise more. It's certainly doable and not the end of the world.

[Shortline Bus]

PBS receives funding from different places. There was a PBS worker on FOX the other morning that stated that they would simply have to go out and fundraise more. It's certainly doable and not the end of the world.

 

 

OK do you watch PBS ever VG8? What happens if fundrasising fails? Does PBS go out of business? Are you calling for defense cuts too VG8? That as much as 60% of country budget.

 

Keep in mind no everyone can afford cable i.e Disney, History Channel, etc.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

OK do you watch PBS ever VG8? What happens if fundrasising fails? Does PBS go out of business? Are you calling for defense cuts too VG8? That as much as 60% of country budget.

 

Keep in mind no everyone can afford cable i.e Disney, History Channel, etc.

 

 

I'm calling for cuts where we can't afford them and have to borrow from China. We can't afford to keep borrowing. Period. We're going to bury future generations with all of this debt.

 

I think people will survive if one public channel was gone. Life will go on just as it has been. It's only TV for crying out loud and it is not worth going further into debt for it.

[Shortline Bus]

I'm calling for cuts where we can't afford them and have to borrow from China. We can't afford to keep borrowing. Period. We're going to bury future generations with all of this debt.

 

I think people will survive if one public channel was gone. Life will go on just as it has been. It's only TV for crying out loud and it is not worth going further into debt for it.

 

 

You igorne me VG8. Being fair what you cal for defense cuts?

[Shortline Bus]

And personally what about pay cuts for the President and members of congress. Yet like it or not kids learn from PBS. I thought education is important. I think PBS should continue to get funding but lower but not totally gone. Remember tax payer monies paid for the AVS NHL arena in Colorado and sports arenas across America.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You igorne me VG8. Being fair what you cal for defense cuts?

 

And personally what about pay cuts for the President and members of congress. Yet like it or not kids learn from PBS. I thought education is important. I think PBS should continue to get funding but lower but not totally gone. Remember tax payer monies paid for the AVS NHL arena in Colorado and sports arenas across America.

 

 

I didn't ignore anything. There should be cuts across the board period. When the economy improves monies can be restored from where it was taken, but we've got to focus on getting folks back to work and getting good American jobs again and stop borrowing from China for everything. I don't see the point of pouring borrowed money into PBS if millions of Americans are unemployed and can't work. That's where our priorities should be. Anything else would be irresponsible IMO to the livelihoods of Americans.

 

One other thing... Publically funded arenas serve the entire city for all sorts of events that bring in revenues so if anything those arenas are investments for the city.

[Shortline Bus]

I didn't ignore anything. There should be cuts across the board period. When the economy improves monies can be restored from where it was taken, but we've got to focus on getting folks back to work and getting good American jobs again and stop borrowing from China for everything. I don't see the point of pouring borrowed money into PBS if millions of Americans are unemployed and can't work. That's where our priorities should be. Anything else would be irresponsible IMO to the livelihoods of Americans.

 

One other thing... Publically funded arenas serve the entire city for all sorts of events that bring in revenues so if anything those arenas are investments for the city.

 

 

I guess you think using taxpayer monies for buliding stadiums and arenas (I am a huge sports fan as you aware saying this)that Billionarie companies and owners should pay at least 75% of the costs or more. If a city wants to pay a portion that fine. Never for 100% of the costs though IMO. That goes for arts-theme bulidings as well such in NYC Lincoln Center. Not everyone is a sports or opera fan either.

 

Yet for a drop in the bucket to the federal government budget about .0009% to invest in shows like Seasme Street which our kids many from lower working class families has been raised. I was raised on Big Bird, Grover(Elmo was not on the scene yet lol)that has proven to raise students tests scores in English. Yet VG8 you want to can a succesful show like Sesame Street?

 

Even another "moderate" GOP supporter like Lilbluefoxie agrees with a cut but not a total end to PBS funding by the feds.

With trillions owed to China, a PBS shutdown is not going to make a difference in the crisis on spending to China IMO.

[Shortline Bus]

And by the way I thought VG8 i thought you wanted government out of private business? You sound like a flip flopper tea party supporter. On one thing you support taxpayer monies on sports stadiums. Yet for education which is a big part of government funding support in this country, you want to end all PBS funding?

 

Sounds like since it's all about you VG8 and you no longer in school, hell with kids in school now lol. And there other words to fix the monies owed to China. How about the feds stopping other "pork barrel" projects. I speak as someone who worked in education field for several years now.

 

 

I guess you think using taxpayer monies for buliding stadiums and arenas (I am a huge sports fan as you aware saying this)that Billionarie companies and owners should pay at least 75% of the costs or more. If a city wants to pay a portion that fine. Never for 100% of the costs though IMO. That goes for arts-theme bulidings as well such in NYC Lincoln Center. Not everyone is a sports or opera fan either.

 

Yet for a drop in the bucket to the federal government budget about .0009% to invest in shows like Seasme Street which our kids many from lower working class families has been raised. I was raised on Big Bird, Grover(Elmo was not on the scene yet lol)that has proven to raise students tests scores in English. Yet VG8 you want to can a succesful show like Sesame Street?

 

Even another "moderate" GOP supporter like Lilbluefoxie agrees with a cut but not a total end to PBS funding by the feds.

With trillions owed to China, a PBS shutdown is not going to make a difference in the crisis on spending to China IMO.

 

[Grand Concourse]

And personally what about pay cuts for the President and members of congress. Yet like it or not kids learn from PBS. I thought education is important. I think PBS should continue to get funding but lower but not totally gone. Remember tax payer monies paid for the AVS NHL arena in Colorado and sports arenas across America.

 

Sure the programs on PBS are good and informative, but that's not an excuse. Kids should be learning most of that stuff in school than to rely on PBS as the source of the knowledge/education. PBS can still have individual programs supported by the funding, but not the whole network. PBS like other programs on various networks should be there to expand on what kids can learn.

 

FTR, I understand PBS is a drop in the bucket as far as the budget goes, but spending cuts has to be made no matter how small. Leaving it alone/status quo because the cost is so small is not a a valid reasoning. By that logic nothing would ever be cut and then all the small programs becomes part of a bigger issue.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

And by the way I thought VG8 i thought you wanted government out of private business? You sound like a flip flopper tea party supporter. On one thing you support taxpayer monies on sports stadiums. Yet for education which is a big part of government funding support in this country, you want to end all PBS funding?

 

Sounds like since it's all about you VG8 and you no longer in school, hell with kids in school now lol. And there other words to fix the monies owed to China. How about the feds stopping other "pork barrel" projects. I speak as someone who worked in education field for several years now.

 

 

Ay yay yay... What I'm saying is we should not be borrowing more monies from China for anything, period. If we can't afford to pay for something then we don't have it. Obama was supposed to get spending under control after Bush went on a spending spree and he was just as bad. We need fiscal responsibility in this country. I'm sure you don't spend what you don't have and it shouldn't be any different with our government.

 

As far as sports stadiums go, not all of them are publically funded and like I said, they are not just used solely for sports. The city decides to have a new stadium in their city based on what they are getting out of it and what the city's needs are, so that means that they weigh the financial investment in terms of their return for having taxpayer dollars used for the stadium.

 

The stadium allows them to have all sorts of events that brings in monies and creates jobs, which creates tax revenues for the city.

[mediccjh]

It's not the Government's responsibility to run a television station.

 

Slate already had an article stating, from Sesame Street, that if PBS funding was cut, Sesame Street would survive due to private contributions.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It's not the Government's responsibility to run a television station.

 

Slate already had an article stating, from Sesame Street, that if PBS funding was cut, Sesame Street would survive due to private contributions.

 

That's what I've been saying and a guy who works for PBS stated that they would just have to get more private contributions. Not the end of the world and certainly not worth going into debt for.

[Shortline Bus]

Little off topic but related. Anyone seen the new Obama campaign ads against Romney and the now famous Big Bird comments?

 

 

[Shortline Bus]

And for those who agree with Gov Romney, here a great reply to CEO of PBS in CNN interview from couple of days ago.

 

 

[MHV9218]

It's not the Government's responsibility to run a television station.

 

 

Why does nobody actually pay attention the facts on this? PBS is so far from "government-run" I don't even know where to begin. By that standard Exxon is government run, since they receive massive direct subsidies from the government (more direct than PBS).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Why does nobody actually pay attention the facts on this? PBS is so far from "government-run" I don't even know where to begin. By that standard Exxon is government run, since they receive massive direct subsidies from the government (more direct than PBS).

 

 

Good point and that's exactly why it should easier to cut funding from them too if it comes to that point.