Federal Subsidies for Big Bird & Co.
The federal government for decades has used taxpayer money to fund the Public Broadcasting System. PBS has always downplayed this. It makes it look as though “viewers like you” really means “taxpayers like you.”
In 2012, the government budgeted $445 million for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS. It also supports “All Things Considered,” the daily 90-minute (or, if you’re lucky, 60-minute) FM-radio show that is run by FCC-subsidized non-profit ratio stations every afternoon. Without their grant of free spectrum, NPR and really bad Christian music shows would be off the air.
If the federal plug were pulled on this money, PBS would have to get by on voluntary donations. The idea of supporting liberal causes by voluntary donations is anathema to liberals, who do not trust the financial voluntarism of liberals. They trust the power of government, which they control. “We don’t need no stinking donations. We’ve got badges. We’ve also got guns.”
There is now a planned Million Muppet March on November 3. I somehow doubt that a million people will show up at the National Mall. It will be a good test case of liberal support for the PBS subsidy.
Romney has promised to end the subsidy to PBS. That promise is being used in an Internet video produced by the Obama campaign.
His threat triggered the idea for the Million Muppet March.
The actor who plays Big Bird is not part of the planned march.
The fact that a pair of pro-PBS citizens are calling for the march is a testimony to some men’s faith in the legitimacy of using badges and guns to fund their ideology and artistic tastes. The fact that this subsidy has gone on for decades is a testimony to the faith of millions of voters in the power of government to take money from groups who do not support specific projects in order to use this money to support those projects.
Big Bird is a symbol of this compulsory wealth transfer. Because he is loved by millions, people with a liberal agenda operate in his large shadow. They produce the other PBS shows.
Congress says: “Maybe you don’t like Big Bird, buddy. We don’t much care. The IRS has badges. It has guns. You’re going to support every Left-wing show that PBS broadcasts.”
Then there are the politically conservative PBS shows.
There must be. Somewhere.
Did you ever notice that during fund-raising week, the local PBS TV stations never run the liberal PBS shows. They run 1950's rock and roll revival concerts. They know better than to run the liberal shows.
Continue Reading on reuters.com.
____________________________
Published on October 15, 2012. The original is here.
The Million Muppet March had its name changed to Million Puppet March. Wikipedia describes it. It was a flop.
Initially called the Million Muppet March, Million Puppet March was a grassroots rally organized during the 2012 Presidential campaign in support of continued public funding of public media. The March took place of November 3, 2012.Co-organized by Michael Bellavia and Chris Mecham, the march was inspired by the comments of Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney during his 2012 presidential debate with Barack Obama. Romney promised to end funding for public broadcasting, saying during the debate that he would stop the federal subsidy to PBS. In particular, Romney added, "I like PBS, I love Big Bird." Bellavia and Mecham viewed Romney's threat as a straw man argument on the issue of the Federal budget and a dog whistle to ultra-conservatives meant to convey his position on social issues.
The 2012 Million Puppet March, which drew some 1500 participants, received recognition from Record Setter as the largest puppet march. . . . The organizers of the March continue to support public media with ongoing education and advocacy efforts around puppetry with other parades and mobilizations around the country including Santa Monica, California and Denver, CO.
How much money comes to NPR from the U.S. government? The Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2017 received $445 million. In early 2018, President Trump proposed the elimination of all funding. But the funding continued. It continued in 2019.
The new fiscal year begins on October 1. We can be sure that the funding will continue. Congress demands it.