They certainly want to make sure we are providing a balanced schedule," she said. "We believe we are. We check that with the people we report to - our member stations and the American public." The only time PBS shows decent programming is when they're running a fund drive. Otherwise, it's just liberal crap. If she excluded the stuff they showed during pledge drives, there's no way she could call that network balanced.
Also, where does all the money from Elmo and Clifford paraphanalia go? Doesn't PBS get a kick back on all that kid stuff? If they still want government funding after the way they market that junk to the kids, then that alone should be reason to defund them.
Sesame Street is a product of the Television Workshop, which I assume is held by a private company. I think PBS pays to broadcast Sesame Street. I don't know who owns Emily and Clifford but I would again assume the author of the book Emily and Clifford would own the marketing rights for the characters. Public Television is a topsy turvy world where the network that broadcast some of the Mega profit making toys get no cut of the profits from those toys. Those that make a profit off of the merchandising from the programs ought to be kicking back at least 25% of the profits. Until cable came along basically PBS was the only outlet for quality kids programming. And PBS has gotten screwed on merchandising. The profits from Sesame Street and Barney should have been able to fund PBS perpetually. Another gift from the idiot libs who have run PBS from their own personal agendas.