Embattled PBS Chief Will Step Down in 2006

[DoYouEverWonder]

February 16, 2005, 6:57 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- Pat Mitchell, the Public Broadcasting Service chief under fire for spending public money on a cartoon show that also featured a real-life lesbian couple, will step down when her contract expires in June 2006.

Mitchell, the nonprofit network's fifth president and chief executive officer, also faced significant fund-raising challenges.

She drew recent criticism from both liberals and conservatives for "Postcards From Buster," in which the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, traveled to Vermont -- a state known for recognizing same-sex civil unions. Though the focus was on farm life and maple sugaring, the episode, entitled "Sugartime," featured an actual lesbian couple.

<snip>

Mitchell, 62, who joined PBS in 2000, told PBS managers at its annual meeting Monday that she would not seek a third three-year term when her contract expired in June 2006. In a statement to the media, Mitchell made no reference to the "Buster" controversy.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-pbs-chief,0,5038515.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[JCMach1]

1. Grrr... it burns me that picturing a female couple

is such a big deal...

Grow up America!!!


:grr:

[rhino47]

7. My 12 year old pointed this out to me

The show is aimed at children mainly in the 5 to group. It shows two women with children.Kids would not think again about this.The concept of two mommies would not accure to most of them.The only way they would know is if their parents already filled their heads with hate.That is much more unnatural then a loving family.

[FuzzyDicePHL]

8. Meanwhile...

There's a lesbian storyline happening on that dismal Fox piece of crap, "The OC." Where's the outrage over that??

[AP]

9. The O.C. has actually improved since that story line developed.

Which defies expectations.

But the last two episodes have been a vast improvementn on all the episodes preceding them this season.

[FuzzyDicePHL]

14. Pretty white kids

with pretty white problems.

[JI7]

2. PBS has gone down in quality ever since Clinton left office

i remember they use to have some very good shows. there would be long in depth dcoumentaries on various things they show over a period of time and you really learned something.

one of the last very good specials they had was the Ken Burns show on Jazz.

ever since Bush came into office they have gone down a lot. i'm not even just talking about the politics of it. but just good quality shows like the Jazz special i mentioned.

they do a few good things like that Bush/Kerry documentary and some of their other frontline shows. but other than that there isn't much.

if PBS was what it use to be then nobody would ever have lost their jobs over that lesbian cartoon thing.

[Mountainman]

10. I miss those good shows and also history channel and discovery channel

I have some taped shows from all three and it is truly striking to see what they have become compared to what they use to be.

TV is geared to the freeper mentality which is a "please do my thinking for me" and "please don't put on anything that might make me think or that is over my head" kind of thing.

[reprobate]

12. Was it History or Discovery that did " The Real Noas Ark"? An oxymoron.

All the channels that started as informative and educational are now pushing the far right perspective.

What a disappointment.

[shanti]

13. i am in total agreement!

the quality of pbs HAS gone down since clinton. i can hardly bear to watch it anymore....there are so many shows now about war, religion, and the military. i don't remember there being so many shows based on these issues before.

bushler has to be part of this change and i resent my tax dollars being spent this way!

[lovuian]

3. Bush wants to destroy PBS so there is No channel but FOX

The funding has been slashed... Public television is under attack

Ernie and Big Bird watch out you will be out of a job!!!

Oscar is in a trash can already!!!

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. In a related story: PBS Faces Financial Challenges

February 26, 2005, 2:13 AM EST

CHALLENGES: The Public Broadcasting Service has seen cuts in corporate underwriting, while production and other costs have outpaced the small increases in government funding.

FUNDING: Less than 20 percent of PBS funding comes from Congress. The rest comes from fund raising, corporate underwriting and station member dues. Recently, PBS established a foundation so that it could accept large donations.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-pbs-chief-summary-box,0,2529935.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

So for 20% of PBS's budget they sold their souls to the US Government and lost their audience. Now they are wondering where all the money went?

[lovuian]

5. Ya Bush cut PBS funding because its the only News Channel

obligated to allow the oposing view to come on... None of the Corporate networks do!!!

Oh excuse me they have Guckert or Gannon !!!

[Robert Oak]

6. bet this is a cover

Shows like Frontline and Now just tell too much truth.

I think the "radical right" uses abortion and gay rights as a cover
issue for the real agenda...

anybody see Rumsfeld's War?

[robbedvoter]

11. 60 Minutes down, PBS on the way - the Guckert media triumphs!

Will it still be called "liberal media" or even "MSM"? Or rather "His Master's Voice"