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DOES BIG BIRD HATE GOD? (PBS)
boblonsberry.com ^ | 06/18/09 | Bob Lonsberry

Posted on 06/18/2009 5:57:03 AM PDT by shortstop

The tolerance channel has banned God.

No, that’s not true. All they want him to do is “migrate.” They want God to “migrate” from TV to the Internet.

I’m talking about PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, whatever alphabet-soup taxpayer-supported agency it is that has made untold millions from “Sesame Street.” In its enlightened wisdom, it has outlawed God.

More specifically, it has forbidden “sectarian” programming. If you are going to be a PBS station, you can’t have any religious broadcasting. I think they really mean Christian religious broadcasting, but they can’t say something like that out loud.

At least not yet.

The new policy is part of a review of PBS standards. The company features such shows as, uh, well, actually, I can’t think of anything particularly noteworthy it broadcasts. That antiques show, and the most insipid hour of news anywhere, and the occasional Bill Moyers “why America sucks” investigation. And I think they still do a bunch of dull repeats from England.

Anyway, PBS has decided that it will not allow its affiliates to carry any religious shows. If anywhere on their schedule, at any hour of the day or night, a religious show is aired, they are kicked out of PBS.

THAT color isn’t allowed in the rainbow.

This was an issue earlier this week when it looked like five long-time PBS stations were going to be excommunicated for having religious shows. In every instance, this programming went back for decades, but in the new world of acceptance, tolerance, diversity and multiculturalism, religion is, of course, unacceptable.

Four of the stations run what most of us call Mass For Shut-Ins. Every week, a priest comes out to the studio, says Mass, and it is broadcast. Traditionally, this has been for people who were unable to get to church, typically because they were ill or elderly.

Somehow, this offends the liberal minds at PBS. Somehow, an hour of that in the week violates their standards and cannot be tolerated.

The fifth station was KBYU – at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

BYU is owned by the Mormon Church, and for years, KBYU as broadcast devotionals, and excerpts of speeches from the Mormons’ big twice-a-year General Conference.

These are religious talks. They are broadcast in a community comprised of a very high percentage of Mormon people. They’ve been doing it that way for decades.

And PBS said it had to end.

But when push came to shove, PBS decided that these five stations could be grandfathered in – on conditions.

The first was that they could not add any other religious programming, or replace this religious programming with other religious programming. If this goes away, it is not replaced.

The second condition is that the stations involved begin the process of moving their religious programming from their TV product to their Internet product. That means that PBS wants the stations to figure out a way to get the shows off the air and onto the web. Instead of tuning in, they want people to have to click in.

Which, while terribly fashionable, is not practical. No matter what your 13-year-old tells you, people are more prone to watch TV on TV than on some other medium or device.

So what should we make of this, and what should we do about it?

Well, we should see all the talk about diversity for exactly what it is – bull crap.

The political correctness that permeates this most-liberal of all television networks demands what it is not willing to give. In the name of diversity, it enforces orthodoxy. Instead of parity, it wants priority. While preaching tolerance, it practices intolerance. Its species of inclusion does not include the mainstream.

A network that would angrily denounce any sort of “censorship” for its “journalists,” clearly practices censorship on its affiliates. While it claims to practice unrestrained freedom in its work, it refuses any such freedom to programmers or believers.

And once again, religion is discriminated against in American society. Worse, this discrimination is done at taxpayer expense. In a world where the marketplace supports hundreds of channels, PBS still clings to the lie that society somehow needs one channel sucking at the taxpayers’ teat.

Well, it doesn’t.

Somehow Dora and Big Bird would still be ridiculously profitable, even if they lost their PBS welfare check.

The bottom line is this: Religious people should return the favor. If they are not welcome on PBS, then PBS shouldn’t be welcome in their homes.

Or in their pocketbooks or voting booths.

If PBS can’t give religious people anything, then probably religious people shouldn’t give PBS anything. Maybe it’s time to stop donating money and maybe it’s time to contact politicians and have them stop donating money as well.

If you think PBS should ban all religious programming, then support PBS. If you think PBS is wrong to impose this blanket ban, then oppose PBS.

It’s as simple as that.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: billmoyers; lonsberry; pbs
With about 300 channels on my cable TV, somebody tell me again why we even need PBS?
1 posted on 06/18/2009 5:57:04 AM PDT by shortstop
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To: shortstop
It will be interesting to see how this is implemented. On the kids' show "Postcards from Buster" (a spin-off of "Arthur"), Buster has traveled around and at least once (I think more than once) spent time with Muslims and learned about their culture. This is done for purposes of diversity and to help kids learn about cultures of the world. But this is ALWAYS okay when it comes to Muslims. They are seen as a cultural event, not a religious belief. So in the name of diversity, you can always talk about them (in fact: you have an obligation to talk about them).

Of course, a show about the Amish, or Christian missionaries, or whatnot would not be seen as anything cultural -- that stuff is pure religion! Ban it!

2 posted on 06/18/2009 6:06:43 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (We are a ruled people, serfs to the Federal Oligarchy -- and the Tree of Liberty thirsts)
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To: shortstop

Satan and islam is okay with PBS.


3 posted on 06/18/2009 6:08:31 AM PDT by IbJensen (If Catholics voted based upon the teachings of the church, there would be no abortion and no Obomba.)
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To: shortstop

And PBS will fall all over itself to feature atheists and atheism in its programming.


4 posted on 06/18/2009 6:09:38 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Christian+Veteran=Terrorist)
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To: shortstop
Dora is on PBS?
The Sesame Steet franchise does not make millions it makes billions. I read last year the franchise made $1.2 billion yearly.
It is a crock that PBS does not have money or needs public funding, which someone told me is a fraction of their actual revenue.
5 posted on 06/18/2009 6:10:04 AM PDT by svcw (<b>O</b>)
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To: shortstop

THE way to get a company’s attention is through their pocket book.


PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)
1329 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314

Founded in 1969, PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation whose members are the nation’s public TV stations. Unlike any other television network, PBS claims that its noncommercial programs are chosen for their value to the viewer, rather than to an advertiser.

“Public TV is a voluntary partnership among individuals, businesses, foundations, and local, state and federal governments to use television as a positive force in society,” says the network.

From October 1994 to May 1995, 94.6 million viewers in 54.4 million households watched public TV each week, according to Nielsen Television Index (NTI). This represents 57.1 percent of America’s 95.4 million households with TVs.

According to the network, the PBS budget for FY96 (July 1, 1995-June 30, 1996) of $166.98 million is paid primarily by member stations: 71.8% of the budget is provided by the stations, 13.5% comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and 14.7% is from educational institutions, interest income and other sources.

Public television’s national, regional and local income in FY93 was $1.38 billion, according to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Four-fifths (79.6%) of the funding came from nonfederal sources.


So, if you want to change this, let your local PBS station know that you will no longer be allowing their content into your house and that you will be blocking their channel on your cable box. Then actually block the channel (cable companies can tell which channels are bocked or not. Then, get your church members, friends and neighbors to do the same.

Second, if you give to the PBS channels ... stop! And then tell them why you stop giving.

When the cable company then reports back to the local station that 10% of the market is now BLOCKING their channel, and when their annual drives for money start coming up short, they will get the message - trust me.


6 posted on 06/18/2009 6:15:42 AM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: shortstop
...tell me again why we even need PBS?

To reinforce the viewers' programming, so they don't stray too far to the right?

7 posted on 06/18/2009 6:38:02 AM PDT by JimRed ("Hey, hey, Teddy K., how many girls did you drown today?" TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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To: shortstop

But Deepak Chopra spiritualism is different ... he raises money for PBS.


8 posted on 06/18/2009 6:49:10 AM PDT by spintreebob
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To: shortstop

Last time PBS was good was back in the 1970’s. They aired The World At War, Upstairs,Downstairs, Duchess of Duke Street, Lilli, The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, Flambards, etc., all worthwhile shows.


9 posted on 06/18/2009 7:42:58 AM PDT by deannadurbin
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To: spintreebob
But Deepak Chopra spiritualism is different

How spiritual was it for him to be FOR the murder of Terri Schiavo? Which is what the government did to her. Withheld food and water until she died. And no, I will never forget. I was traumatized by the whole situation at the time.

10 posted on 06/18/2009 11:54:03 AM PDT by my_pointy_head_is_sharp (We're living in the Dark Ages.)
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