Republican Chairman Exerts Pressure on PBS, Alleging Biases

New York Times ^ | May 2, 2005 | STEPHEN LABATON, LORNE MANLY and ELIZABETH JENSEN

[Rodney King]

Mr. Moyers - an aide in the Lyndon B. Johnson administration and a former newspaper publisher who has been associated with PBS since the 1970's - said the entire federal government was "united behind a right-wing agenda" that included "the power of the state to force pregnant women to give up control over their own lives."

Perfect example of how bias works its way into the NY Times. That is perhaps the most mild-mannered thing that Moyers has ever said. It's the far more radical paranoid stuff that is a problem.

[denydenydeny]

Republican Chairman Exerts Pressure on PBS, Alleging Biases

Whenever leftists "exert pressure," the Times never refers to it as such. It's always "critics charge..." or "lawmakers urge."

What a joke the Times is.

[vpintheak]

I have no problem with anthropological shows, or nature shows for that matter. They are both interesting to watch. My problem is that NEVER on PBS will you see a show that extols the virtue of capitalism, what it has done for the world, and for that matter, beyond only a couple of shows, I never see any pro-American shows on PBS either. Therein lies the problem with PBS.

[Uncle George]

With the McDonald hamburger legacy to fund their LIB broadcasts and TV, They don't need our 40 million to spread their lib trash.They should not get ANY tax dollars, period.....

[Brilliant]

"ALLEGED biases?" I'd say PBS's bias meets the reasonable doubt standard.

[SmithL]

If my tax dollars weren't supporting it, I wouldn't care what they said or did. But they are, and I do.

[Teplukin]

I have said before, and I say again. The NY Times is ideologically suspect, and must be avoided!

No more reading the NY Times! We have newspapers of equal worth to the Times, and we must patronize them!

[ClaireSolt]

My ex who worked for PBS for 30 years says that they totally prepared to be cut off the federal umbilical cord. Do it!

[12 Gauge Mossberg]

But...but...what about Sesame Street? You FReepers don't care about the kids!

[Lazamataz]

What a joke the Times is.

In ten short years, they squandered one-hundred years of credibility-building.

[ServesURight]

Actually, my favorite (and only) program on PBS is "Between the Lions," a kids show where puppets sing and teach kids the importance of reading. My daughter loves it.

[risk]

In a January letter to the leaders of the three biggest producing stations, in New York, Boston and Washington, the deputy general counsel of PBS warned that this could give the corporation editorial control, infringing on its First Amendment rights and possibly leading to a demand for balance in each and every show.

Really? Well in that case, freeping might be in order. Anyone could tell the General Counsel's office what he thinks:

Katherine Lauderdale
General Counsel
Public Broadcasting Services
1320 Braddock Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-1698
(703) 739-5063 FAX: (703) 837-3300
E-mail: klauderdale@pbs.org
Council Term Expires: 1/2007

Maybe someone should remind the counsel's office that public media access does not equal freedom of speech, especially not when one's political interests are supported fully by Hollywood, academia, an entire half of congress, a sizable portion of the judiciary, and numerous governors throughout the nation.

[Alamo-Girl]

Buuuump!

[Jim_Curtis]

"My goal here is to see programming that satisfies a broad constituency," he said, adding, "I'm not after removing shows or tampering internally with shows."

This is the kind of statement that always leads to defeat. This crap on PBS shouldn't just be "tampered with", it should be eradicated and the producers shown the door.

[Jim_Curtis]

No more reading the NY Times! We have newspapers of equal worth to the Times, and we must patronize them!

Sooo...you are saying that there are other papers as worthless as the Times and we should read those papers instead?

[Teplukin]

Sooo...you are saying that there are other papers as worthless as the Times and we should read those papers instead?

LOL! My bad. I meant papers as big as the Times.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Without the knowledge of his board, the chairman, Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, contracted last year with an outside consultant to keep track of the guests' political leanings on one program, "Now With Bill Moyers." -Stephen Labaton, Lorne Manly and Elizabeth Jensen (New York Times)

An outside consultant! The horror!!

[longtermmemmory]

Not just the cord, i say put their frequency licenses up for auction!

[The Shrew]

Mr. Moyers - an aide in the Lyndon B. Johnson administration and a former newspaper publisher who has been associated with PBS since the 1970's

How convenient for the NYT to not remind readers that it was Mr. Moyers who created the famous "Daisy Ad" that propelled LBJ to the Whitehouse for his elected term. That ad is possibly the most polarizing ad in political history. But, you know since Moyer's has been associated with PBS since the 70's he gets a pass. NO one at the NYT could possibly see that this is an indictment and proof of Mr. Tomlinson's assertions.

Idiots.

Regards,

TS