If PBS doesn't do it, then who cares?

George Will makes a strong case about scrapping Public Broadcasting in his column today titled PBS No Longer Relevant.

"[In 1967,] The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission hailed public television's promise of "more diversity" and a Carnegie report foresaw increased "diversities." Thirty-eight years later, 500 channels mock public television as crucial to diversity. "

He also picks apart the lame arguments for keeping the money funnel from the U.S. Treasury turned on.

Public television, its supporters say, is especially important for poor people who cannot afford cable or satellite television. But 62 percent of poor households have cable or satellite television and 78 percent have a VCR or DVD player.

Don't believe the VCR/DVD stat? Just go to Costco or Best Buy and look around.

"The impervious argument is: The small size of the audiences for most of public television's programming proves how necessary public television is. The big networks gather big audiences by catering to vulgar cultural tastes, leaving the refined minority an orphan, because any demand the private market satisfies must
be tacky.

The self-refuting argument is: Big Bird. Never mind that the average age of PBS viewers is 58. "Sesame Street" -- see how its merchandise sells, and Barney's, too -- supposedly proves that public television can find mass audiences.

But the refined minority, as it sees itself, now has ample television choices for the rare moments when it is not rereading Proust. And successes such as "Sesame Street" could easily find private, taxpaying broadcast entities to sell them."

Of all the possible uses of the taxpayer's money, keeping this outlet of "progressive" propaganda on life support is about the least desirable one that I can think of. Will sums up the condition of this dinosaur aptly:

"Public television is akin to the body politic's appendix: It is vestigial, purposeless and occasionally troublesome."

Posted by: Gary at 09:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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