President Trump Signs Executive Order to Defund NPR and PBS

[BCP1928]

OK, we all have our priorities for spending by the federal government. Personally, I believe that education should be a state and local function with decisions made at the local levels. I'm fine with revenue sharing if we want the rich states to subsidize the poorer states. IMO, the federal governments only role should be to enforce civil rights, employment and health standards at schools, and provide funds to the local governments.
=======
A country that cannot even provide health care for its citizens and cannot provide a decent safety net for its poor SHOULD NOT spend money administering and choosing which education programs to fund. And, yes, I am a liberal and would prefer that there be NO Department of Education. It does not take a department to transfer monies from the federal government to the states. .

This country will not provide health care for its citizens nor a decent safety safety net for its poor whether there is Pubic media or not.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Now we'll see what happens when the last bastion of culture leaves New Jersey. Jersey Shore was only the beginning.

NJ PBS, New Jersey’s only dedicated public television channel, will cease operations in the Garden State next summer​

“The recent cuts by the federal government and New Jersey state government have been very significant."

In 2011, former Gov. Chris Christie ended 40 years of funding for public television

Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said the demise of NJ PBS, while not surprising because of the cuts that have been made, is very problematic for Garden State residents.

“Newspapers have all but disappeared and you really have to fend for yourself at this point to get information and to stay informed,” he said.

 

[BPPLEE]

Now we'll see what happens when the last bastion of culture leaves New Jersey. Jersey Shore was only the beginning.

NJ PBS, New Jersey’s only dedicated public television channel, will cease operations in the Garden State next summer​

“The recent cuts by the federal government and New Jersey state government have been very significant."

In 2011, former Gov. Chris Christie ended 40 years of funding for public television

Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said the demise of NJ PBS, while not surprising because of the cuts that have been made, is very problematic for Garden State residents.

“Newspapers have all but disappeared and you really have to fend for yourself at this point to get information and to stay informed,” he said.

Who doesn't have a Roku?
They're built in now

 

[Hans Blaster]

Who doesn't have a Roku?

What's "Roku"?

They're built in now

In to what?

 

[BPPLEE]

What's "Roku"?

In to what?

Television sets

Roku

Roku provides the simplest way to stream entertainment to your TV. On your terms. With thousands of available channels to choose from.

www.roku.com

 

[Hans Blaster]

Television sets

Roku

Roku provides the simplest way to stream entertainment to your TV. On your terms. With thousands of available channels to choose from.

www.roku.com

It's some sort of streaming "device"? (I don't have any streaming.)

 

[BPPLEE]

It's some sort of streaming "device"? (I don't have any streaming.)

You can buy a television set for less than $100 with a Roku built in and watch plenty of shows, news and movies free of charge.
There are also streaming services that you have to pay for.
I had to stay with my mother for two months to take care of her and I had nothing but the free services to watch and I didn't miss anything. Gunsmoke is a really good show
(You do have to rent a modem and pay about $50 a month to a provider for the modem and WiFi plus phone service in my mother's case)
Who doesn't need WiFi?

 

[mark46]

You can buy a television set for less than $100 with a Roku built in and watch plenty of shows, news and movies free of charge.
There are also streaming services that you have to pay for.
I had to stay with my mother for two months to take care of her and I had nothing but the free services to watch and I didn't miss anything. Gunsmoke is a really good show
(You do have to rent a modem and pay about $50 a month to a provider for the modem and WiFi plus phone service in my mother's case)
Who doesn't need WiFi?

And if you MUST have the networks and other over-the-air broadcasts, a one-time charge for an indoor or indoor-outdoor antenna works almost everywhere. These antennae are much, much better than the ones that we used before cable.
==========
BTW, there are also many paid streaming channels available.

I would note that for those who choose to donate to PBS, there is a streaming channel included with any donation.

 

[rjs330]

Now we'll see what happens when the last bastion of culture leaves New Jersey. Jersey Shore was only the beginning.

NJ PBS, New Jersey’s only dedicated public television channel, will cease operations in the Garden State next summer​

“The recent cuts by the federal government and New Jersey state government have been very significant."

In 2011, former Gov. Chris Christie ended 40 years of funding for public television

Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said the demise of NJ PBS, while not surprising because of the cuts that have been made, is very problematic for Garden State residents.

“Newspapers have all but disappeared and you really have to fend for yourself at this point to get information and to stay informed,” he said.

What, NJ doesn't have any local stations? No cable? No Satellite? No streaming services? No internet for phones? All they have is NPR?

 

[BPPLEE]

What, NJ doesn't have any local stations? No cable? No Satellite? No streaming services? No internet for phones? All they have is NPR?

They can’t afford Roku? Get an antenna

 

[Hans Blaster]

They can’t afford Roku? Get an antenna

That's not going to help NJ as they no longer will have PBS stations to receive.

 

[BPPLEE]

That's not going to help NJ as they no longer will have PBS stations to receive.

I’m holding back the tears

 

[mark46]

Roku gets channels from the internet. A donation to PBS will get you PBS from anywhere in the country.

As far as a NJ antenna, it depends where you live in NJ. Some will be able to get NY stations, other PA stations.
==========
But perhaps I have a more basic question. Why I should folks in GA pay for New Jersey's PBS stations if the people of NJ aren't willing to pay? Why is this a federal responsibility paid for by taxes from us all? The voters of NJ elected folks who choose not to support public television, forcing the local station to raise any needed money without government support. Those voters don't believe that a government funded local PBS station wi worthy of their taxpayer money. Why is that so wrong?

And then let me ask the political question. Is public television watched more and supported more by members of one of our parties? Perhaps the local stations should raise more money from those who watch. New Jersey is a relatively rich, Democratic state whose leadrs have chosen not to use public monies for public television. That doesn't mean that there aren't other means to raise money.

 

[mark46]

I'm not sure I understand the issue. 91% of US households in the US have internet access. We have access to thousands of free channels, perhaps after paying $30 for a ROKU or Amazon stick. PBS and its family of stations are but one groups of channels. An antenna will bring you many, many more channels after paying perhaps $30 for an antenna.

The average US household pay for 4-5 pay streaming services with Amazon Prime and Netflix in 70% of households or so.

Are we really that upset that the federal government no longer wants to partially fund Masterpiece Theater and Sesame Street? Why?
PBS is just another streaming channel.

With regard to NPR, we are not living behind the Iron Curtain with the need for a Radio Free America with its own political bias. Again, if folks in a state want to support such a station, then let them help pay for it. Some states will choose to do so. Others won't. Yes, NPR can broadcast emergency signals. Again, why is that a federal responsibility.
=========
BOTTOM LINE
PBS and NPR need not be federal responsibilities.

 

[Hans Blaster]

I’m holding back the tears

I wasn't interested in your tears. Your "solution" (an antenna) is of absolutely *no* use as one can not pick up a channel that doesn't exist.

 

[BPPLEE]

I wasn't interested in your tears. Your "solution" (an antenna) is of absolutely *no* use as one can not pick up a channel that doesn't exist.

I’ve always been told that federal and state grants are just a small portion of PBS funding. Must not be true

 

[rjs330]

That's not going to help NJ as they no longer will have PBS stations to receive.

And this is a problem for the taxpayers to deal with why?

 

[mark46]

I’ve always been told that federal and state grants are just a small portion of PBS funding. Must not be true

15% federal I think for PBS. NPR is only 1 or 2% but also have money (10-11%) coming indirectly from federal grants to local stations.

Perhaps, if a station can't raise that money without federal help, then its voters will need to rely of others of thousands of offerings available. And I do understand that there will be stations that don't make it, as there are newspapers that can't make it, and hardware stores.

For me, I would much rather have state and local governments decide whether to support NPR and PBS. And many won't and will choose to use their tax money in other ways.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

I’ve always been told that federal and state grants are just a small portion of PBS funding. Must not be true

Federal funding makes up about 15% of PBS's budget, which isn't really a small portion. But that's also just the national organization, which doesn't operate the local TV stations. Those stations typically get a much larger chunk of their funding from the government, especially those in smaller markets like rural communities.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Just last night I was watching show on the origins of humans. Human: Journeys

I can see how some might think this dangerous teaching. Of course most knowledge is first rebuffd.