PBS Under Threat From Competition

FOX News ^ | Tuesday, June 18, 2002 | By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[Carolina]

WASHINGTON

[Carolina]

"We are dangerously close in our overall primetime number to falling below the relevance quotient.

How do they measure that?

[Moleman]

Please don't anger Bert...

[SoCal Pubbie]

This reminds me of their usual slogan at fund raising time, "If not PBS, then who?" (or something like that). I always shouted back at the TV "The History Channel, Discover, HGTV, and The Food Channel!"

[Maceman]

But aside from mainstays like Sesame Street

Like Big Bird really needs my tax dollars. Judging by how much I have spent on Sesame Street paraphernalia and videos in the last two years for my three-year-old, I would say that Big Bird's net worth has to be right up there with Rush Limbaugh's.

And don't even get me started on Barney.

[Mike-o-Matic]

   In 2004, the government will pay $380 million for PBS, and the president has requested $395 million for 2005,

Oh those evil budget-slashing Republicans... look how much they hate education! WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN??!?

[RAT Patrol]

Cool!

[MichaelP]

The kinds of shows I liked to watch on PBS I now find on A&E, TDC and THC. With digital cable, I can watch when I want too...

Mike

[Mahone]

Yes, but the liberal lemmings that have a choke hold on PBS would rather take it over the cliff with them, then to ever allow anything but leftist swill on its airwaves! They haven't reflected the public for so long, the P should stand for Propaganda.

[Carolina]

Judging by how much I have spent on Sesame Street paraphernalia and videos in the last two years for my three-year-old...

LOL! Toys, clothing, coloring books, shoes, magazines. Amazing!

[Illbay]

But aside from mainstays like Sesame Street, the new Now With Bill Moyers...

That says it all right there. Sesame Street promotes the indoctrination of toddlers with the "it's okay if mommy works and leaves you all day long with the daycare workers; daycare is FUN..." and the whole "Heather Has Two Mommies" spiel; and Moyers is a totally unreconstructed Leftist "reporter" who thinks Dick Nixon is still a threat.

Bah. Hope PBS trips up and is no more.

[What Is Ain't]

When PBS goes belly up it will truly be "Morning in America."

[KarlInOhio]

"We are dangerously close in our overall primetime number to falling below the relevance quotient.

How do they measure that?

Ratings / MSNBC Ratings.

If it is below 3.0, you aren't relevant. MSNBC has (by definition) a relevance quotient of 1.0 and therefore is not relevant.

[arkfreepdom]

The only thing I watch on PBS is the local gardening show...and I can get that info on the computer from the university site. Please die PBS.

[KarlInOhio]

Longtime supporters of public television, funded through the 31-year-old Corporation for Public Broadcasting, admit that PBS is too dependent on government and corporate funding, and that the dependence is reflected in the quality of its programming.

So that leaves only endless fundraisers. Grab Ken Burns, put a pistol to his head and announce "Send your local station $100 or else you'll never see the 112 part series on the War of Jenkin's Ear"

[Paul Atreides]

Always watch the programming during a fundraiser; usually, they will put on the artsy programs such as symphonies, ballets, operas, nature programs, etc. When the fundraising is over, they bring back the leftist claptrap; lesbians poets, feminist whining, and the hate-whitey crowd.

[Carolina]

Please Die PBS

Zoe--Great Target Practice

[Semper Paratus]

Public companies in the private sector:

US Postal Service- Losing Money
Amtrack- Losing Money
PBS- Losing Viewers

Am I the only one seeing a trend here?

[Carolina]

Always watch the programming during a fundraiser;

Oh, yes, Riverdance, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Three Tenors, The Three Irish Tenors interspersed between the pleading.

Now, for the $150 level, you can own this CD featuring (fill in the blank).

Right, I'll spend my money elsewhere.

[3AngelaD]

At least they're bringing Mystery back this summer. Maybe they figured they should have at least one program that people actually watch, and can watch without gagging.

[cmak9]

"In 2004, the government will pay $380 million for PBS, and the president has requested $395 million for 2005,"

...and the sad part is, if they only get $394 million, it will be called a budget cut (or "slashing").