Are PBS stations experiencing cuts in funding???

[Bouncy Ball]

I've noticed for about the last year or so, we've gone from having "Beg-A-Thons" about once every six months or so to once every other month. There was an article in my local paper about our PBS station experiencing cuts in federal funding.

I've heard one other DUer in another part of the country say their PBS station has been running Beg-A-Thons about every six weeks, too.

What's up? It wouldn't surprise me to find out the government with these guys in charge were cutting public broadcasting funding, but other than that one little newspaper article, I haven't heard a thing about this.

Anyone else notice an uptick in begging for money on your PBS station?

[libpunkmom]

1. The state of Oregon

quit contributing to OPB the year before last. The state funding was a huge percent of there budget. I'm not sure, but I think that Oregon is the only state that no longer contributes to Public Broadcasting.

[classof56]

5. I have been an OPB contributor for many, many years but...

I may have just given them my last dollar. TONIGHT they are not running the Bill Moyers NOW and I am just furious. They've been announcing it all day on OPB radio, it's listed on the TV schedule and I just called their info number where they say Bill Moyers last show will be shown at 9 p.m. So what's on? Who burned Rome! I am beyond angry!

[AP]

2. PBS and NPR are so corporate friendly it's unlikely that the corps will...

...let such a good source of propaganda slip away.

TV & Radio is the opiate of the masses and Fox might be crack, but PBS and NPR are the more socially acceptable martinis and manhattans and play a very important part in the deception.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. They are becoming govt and corporate mouthpieces.. n/t

[Bouncy Ball]

6. I've noticed that

and that's too bad.

[yellowdogintexas]

4. Federal funding to NPR is less and less each year,

and the Beg A Thon is really for your local station and its programming.
When NPR and PBS received more federal funding, the network did not have to charge the local stations as much for the programming. Now they have to charge more. The programming that comes from Great Britain costs more every year too..and our local TV station buys a ton of British comedy.

I am not sure if such programs as Masterpiece Theatre are purchased through PBS or if they are purchased directly from WGBH in Boston (just an example) but they do cost more every year. Even with the corporate underwriting, only the cost of the production of the program itself is what the corporate grant helps to cover.

Locally, I enjoy the radio fund raiser because they get a lot of local personalities on the air and there is a lot of good banter and discussion mixed in with the appeal. The TV station just keeps getting all these wierd special programs that mostly suck.

I am always ready for my Britcoms to return!!!!!!!!1

Best I can figure, the TV station here is doing them quarterly.