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JONATHAN TURLEY: End NPR's taxpayer-funded gravy train
Fox News ^ | February 2, 2025 | Jonathan Turley

Posted on 02/03/2025 9:08:15 PM PST by george76

At least half the country disagrees with its obvious political bias..

NPR remains something of a curiosity. It is a state-subsidized media outlet in a country that rejects state media. It is a site that routinely pitches for its sponsors while insisting that it does not have commercials. That confusion may be on the way to a final resolution following the election. NPR is about to have a reckoning with precisely what it is and what it represents.

...

Even after a respected editor, Uri Berliner, wrote a scathing account of the political bias at NPR, the outlet has doubled down on its one-sided coverage and commentary. Indeed, while tacking aggressively to the left and openly supporting narratives (including some false stories) from Democratic sources, NPR has dismissed the criticism. When many of us called on NPR to pick a more politically neutral CEO, it instead chose Katherine Maher, who was previously criticized for her strident political views.

...

this country has long rejected state media models as undermining .

...

The NPR’s audience has been declining for years. As a result, NPR has been forced to make deep staff cuts.

Ironically, NPR has one of the least diverse audiences in media. Its listeners are is overwhelmingly white, liberal, and more affluent than the rest of the country. Yet, while serving fewer and fewer people, it still expects most of the country to subsidize its programming.

Many of us have argued that NPR should compete with other radio companies in the free market.

...

NPR and PBS are facing calls for the subsidy to be removed at long last. However, at the same time, pressure is coming from the Federal Communications Commission. FCC Chair Brendan Carr is inquiring about NPR's claim that it does not do commercial advertising.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: defundnpr; defundpbs; npr; pbs; turley
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1 posted on 02/03/2025 9:08:15 PM PST by george76
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To: george76
Then get your butt over to PBS.


2 posted on 02/03/2025 9:19:08 PM PST by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: george76

But it’s going to take more than just attacking NPR, as they get their money via Corporation for Public Broadcasting which is not a governmental agency:

“CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.

CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.”

Turley should know this. It seems to me it will take Congressional action to stop funding CPB.


3 posted on 02/03/2025 9:19:45 PM PST by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back!)
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To: george76

Defund the radical propaganda PBSNewsHour /NPR


4 posted on 02/03/2025 9:20:09 PM PST by Words Matter
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To: george76

What NPR does to your dog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQSO0RbmHBI


5 posted on 02/03/2025 9:22:41 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: george76

Funny!
A few days ago a guy showed up at my door. Find raising for the local PBS affiliate. Should have seen the look on his face when I told him that I hope Trump kills the damn thing.


6 posted on 02/03/2025 9:23:01 PM PST by sjmjax
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To: george76
I used to absolutely love PBS back in the day had tons of great programming that offset the channels sort of annoying left of center bias. Now it is nothing more than full on, hard left Democrat agit prop that makes it unwatchable.

Cut them loose from government funding and let them survive on their own with frequent pledge nights, Pfizer Pharma ads and grants from the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation.

7 posted on 02/03/2025 9:23:24 PM PST by rdcbn1 (TV )
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To: george76

It’s been a never ending quest to get those two entities off the government gravy train but I think the way things are going we may soon see it happen. The gloves are off this time.


8 posted on 02/03/2025 9:50:55 PM PST by xp38
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To: george76

What about amtrac and the usps.
Never make a profit or break even?


9 posted on 02/03/2025 10:02:04 PM PST by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than saving to WORK like the rest of !US:-))
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To: george76

At least PBS used to have Big Bird and the rest of Sesame Street What does NPR have?


10 posted on 02/03/2025 10:42:10 PM PST by paudio (NEW MATH: 45=47)
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To: Harpotoo
What about amtrac and the usps. Never make a profit or break even?

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is established by the Postal Clause of the United States Constitution, which is Article I, Section 8, Clause 7. This clause gives Congress the power to create post offices and post roads.

AMTRAK is the result of the commercial railroad industry mostly giving up on interstate carriage of passengers. The money was in freight. The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that AMTRAK is a governmental entity for the purposes of the Constitution's separation of powers. This means that AMTRAK is more like a public entity than a private business.

Don't confuse interstate carriage with commuter trains. AMTRAK runs some commuter lines, which do quite well. When I lived in Chicago, there were three entities running commuter service: Burlington Northern, Chicago and North Western, and AMTRAK. (If I recall correctly, at one point C&NW became an employee owned company.)

11 posted on 02/03/2025 10:46:52 PM PST by asinclair (It's too bad there will never be a RICO indictment of the DNC.)
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To: george76

Winning.

“.....NPR and PBS are facing calls for the subsidy to be removed at long last. However, at the same time, pressure is coming from the Federal Communications Commission. FCC Chair Brendan Carr is inquiring about NPR’s claim that it does not do commercial advertising......”

Anyone who has seen the Master Piece Theater sponsorship “spots” from Viking Cruise Lines and can tell the difference between that an a Commercial Advertisement is truly mentally flexible.

Yes, NPR and PBS should have ended public funding long ago. Today many streaming sources offer PBS additions to your monthly bill. PBS should be pay to watch like other “commercial” activities.


12 posted on 02/03/2025 11:31:31 PM PST by Robert357
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To: Harpotoo

Yes and what about ethanol? Who gives a damn about Iowa primaries? Ethanol is the grandaddy of green scams.


13 posted on 02/04/2025 12:23:28 AM PST by Sicvee (Sicvee)
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To: george76

We’ve been hearing Republicans threatening to defund PBS for 40 years and counting. What a joke. If it’s ever going to happen, it will happen under Trump’s watch. Fingers crossed!


14 posted on 02/04/2025 12:41:44 AM PST by Rocco DiPippo (Either the Deep State destroys America or we destroy the Deep State. -Donald Trump)
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To: Words Matter

I’ve been waiting for this all my life! 🤗


15 posted on 02/04/2025 2:16:52 AM PST by SMARTY (In politics, stupidity is not a handicap. Napoleon Bonaparte I)
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To: george76

My sister is an avid listener. She is exactly what their target audience is....female, middle aged, highly educated (she’s a Shrink), wealthier than average and highly leftist.

That does not describe America. That describes a very small slice of it. If that audience wants to listen to that programming, fine. They can pay for it. The rest of us should not have to.


16 posted on 02/04/2025 2:22:59 AM PST by FLT-bird
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To: rdcbn1

Even the formerly good shows on PBS have been corrupted by their overtly Leftist political bias. NOVA goes on and on about Gaia Worship. American Experience became unwatchable due to the hard left slant on American history. About the only one that doesn’t have a laughable slant to it is Secrets of the Dead.

Its a shame. I used to enjoy at least some of their shows even if their news always leaned left....speaking of which, they hired Christianne Amanpour. How overtly Leftist can you get? Sheesh!


17 posted on 02/04/2025 2:27:07 AM PST by FLT-bird
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To: george76

In the infancy of the broadcasting age, one could argue that PBS/NPR were necessary. There are simply far too many options now for media consumers to justify the continued existence of these dinosaurs. Remove their public funding and let them sink or swim in the free market.


18 posted on 02/04/2025 2:44:20 AM PST by rottndog (What comes after America?)
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To: rdcbn1

Having any advertising at all is a violation of their agreement with Congress to receive 2 billion+ a year in tax payers funding. Let them survive on their own instead of making people like Ken Burns wealthy at tax payers expense. Go compete in Hollywood like everyone else.


19 posted on 02/04/2025 3:12:37 AM PST by vivenne (7Come to think of it. )
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To: george76

Every new Republican administration since Reagan talks about defunding NPR and PBS but it never happens.


20 posted on 02/04/2025 3:35:42 AM PST by circlecity
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