Posted on 01/27/2005 6:16:09 PM PST by two134711
The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles.
The not-yet-aired episode of "Postcards From Buster" shows the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, on a trip to Vermont — a state known for recognizing same-sex civil unions. The episode features two lesbian couples, although the focus is on farm life and maple sugaring.
A PBS spokesman said late Tuesday that the nonprofit network has decided not to distribute the episode, called "Sugartime!," to its 349 stations. She said the Education Department's objections were not a factor in that decision.
"Ultimately, our decision was based on the fact that we recognize this is a sensitive issue, and we wanted to make sure that parents had an opportunity to introduce this subject to their children in their own time," said Lea Sloan, vice president of media relations at PBS.
However, the Boston public television station that produces the show, WGBH, does plan to make the "Sugartime!" episode available to other stations. WGBH also plans to air the episode on March 23, Sloan said.
PBS gets money for the "Postcards from Buster" series through the federal Ready-To-Learn program, one aimed at helping young children learn through television.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said the "Sugartime!" episode does not fulfill the intent Congress had in mind for programming. By law, she said, any funded shows must give top attention to "research-based educational objectives, content and materials."
"Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in the episode," Spellings wrote in a letter sent Tuesday to Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of PBS.
"Congress' and the Department's purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children, particularly through the powerful and intimate medium of television."
She asked PBS to consider refunding the money it spent on the episode.
With her letter, Spellings has made criticism of the publicly funded program's depiction of the gay lifestyle one of her first acts as secretary. She began on Monday, replacing Rod Paige as President Bush's education chief.
Spellings issued three requests to PBS.
She asked that her department's seal or any statement linking the department to the show be removed. She asked PBS to notify its member stations of the nature of show so they could review it before airing it. And she asked for the refund "in the interest of avoiding embroiling the Ready-To-Learn program in a controversy that will only hurt" it.
In closing, she warned: "You can be assured that in the future the department will be more clear as to its expectations for any future programming that it funds."
The department has awarded nearly $99 million to PBS through the program over the last five years in a contract that expires in September, said department spokesman Susan Aspey. That money went to the production of "Postcards From Buster," and another animated children's show, and to promotion of those shows in local communities, she said.
The show about Buster also gets funding from other sources.
In the show, Buster carries a digital video camera and explores regions, activities and people of different backgrounds and religions.
On the episode in question, "The fact that there is a family structure that is objectionable to the Department of Education is not at all the focus of the show, nor is it addressed in the show," said Sloan of PBS.
But she also said: "The department's concerns align very closely with PBS' concerns, and for that reason, it was decided that PBS will not be providing the episode." Stations will receive a new episode, she said.
How is this any different then the columnists for hire story? If they pass that No Propaganda law, will PBS close down?
Insert joke here _________________
What no propoganda law? do tell...
I cut out all TV. I haven't watched the thing for more than 30 seconds for two months. (this excludes the news)
Television dumbs people down.
It was posted here on FR today, someone in congress is proposing some kind of law against funding propaganda. So, logically, I guess NPR would have to take a hit...
You're right for the most part, but it's not completely without merit. The Science & History Channels are sometimes fun to watch, although now that there's a Military Channel, I fear I may not see my husband for some time!
I emailed Secretary Spellings and thanked her for her stand.
The tube has very little truth on it.
And the commercials? Just stop and analyze one sometime: the background music, the very convincing message, the almost always perfect looking people, the hyperspeed of some of the video sequences, etc.
While I hardly ever watch one anymore, just once I'd like to see a car dealer commercial, where the unseen narrator, who yells, while racing through his lines, is (unbeknownst to him) shown on a split screen in the recording studio.
Nobody I know ever talks like that in real day-to-day life.
Agreed - news and sports.
Madame Secretary is quite right. The government should stay neutral on the topic of homosexual activity, not promote it.
Good stand.
Yet another reason that ALL tv programing should have their V-Chip encoding include an "H" for homosexual content. We have "MA" for mature, We have "V" for violence. This is a REASONABLE request since it is now EXTREMELY apparent that the leftists are seeking to promote homosexuality by stealth which bypasses mom and dad.
The V-Chip was developed for just this type of purpose.
Don't assume animal planet is safe.
A few years back the Smithsonian dumbed down the animal and natural history exhibits to eliminate pro-male "sexism" in the displays.
Pray for W and Our Troops
no the government should DISCOURAGE it. (not unlike the law in Texas' education system)
It should be treated as a preventable health problem. Neutrality implies equivalence for the alternative lifestyle.
It should be activly excluded from all children's programing other than to discourage it. The government should further mandate the encoding of the "H" rating for homosexual content in order to make the V-Chip useful in this department.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.