Left - Leaning NPR and PBS to Receive $10 Million in Tax Dollars

Back in the days when I actually used to listen to NPR and watched PBS (before the days I understood what "left wing" and "right wing" news was), I remember thinking how strange it was that these respective stations seemed to constantly be holding telethons and pledge drives to keep their shows on the air. It's gotten to the point that I swear that they hold these drives at least twice a month now.

Well, it looks like those drives haven't been doing them a lot of good. Now these stations have just been awarded over $10 million dollars over the next 2 years, courtesy of you, the tax payer.

I guess if you can't beg, plead, cajole and put enough of your listeners on a guilt trip to send them money on their own free will, well... we'll just have the government take it from them, then!

Oh, you've heard their pitches...

"We need that money desperately! Our numbers are down! If you don't give now, we'll never be able to air great programs like (insert program here) again! So if you want to keep watching it, send money now!"

Yeah, I was a sap... I gave some money to these clowns. I didn't know better then, so give me a break.

Only now that I do know better, they're just going to take it from me... the government is taking my tax dollars to contribute to programming that I don't want to watch.

Kind of reminds me of the Obamacare bill that was just passed.

Sorry, had to take that shot.

I guess now they can claim that jobs went up too, because part of the money is going to be used to hire 50 more multimedia journalists. These journalists will be covering hot-topic issues such as immigration (give you 3 guesses on what kind of immigration they'll be discussing), agribusiness ("Why undocumented immigrant crop pickers are beneficial to America!"), the economy ("Obama's plan is working... here's why!"), and health care ("We expose the top Republican myths on the Health Care bill, followed by little Tyrone's tragic story.").

Naturally, the government will claim that they've created more jobs. Of course, they'll leave out the little detail that those 50 journalists are expected to come from newspapers that have gone under. I guess they'll count them as the ones they "saved" in their next economic "growth" report.

This program is, for lack of a better term, a minor form of "reverse censorship". Rather than trying to silence the opposition outright, they are instead bulking themselves up, with help from the government, in an effort to drown out the more "sensationalist" programming, as they call it.

I have a feeling that they aren't referring to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN or MSNBC.

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, stated that the stations and their affiliates "must be self-sustaining within two years".

"If it's of value to the community, there's potential to get foundation support or individual support, even in this troublesome economy" she said.

I'm taking it that means when the gravy train ends, they'll go back to begging and pleading their listeners for more money.

Oh... but here's the best part of the story!

PBS is releasing a brand new news program called "Need to Know", which will be anchored by Alison Stewart and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. Now, I've never heard of either of these people before, but the mention of Newsweek magazine raised a red flag, so I looked into their backgrounds a bit.

Alison Stewart was a former daytime anchor for MSNBC News, as well as a "primary substitute host" for Countdown with Keith Olberman.

Yes, Keith Olberman... one of the most radical, left-wing talk show hosts in the country, whose show includes segments such as "Special Comments", in which he spent the majority of his time blasting members of the Bush administration, and "The Hall of Shame" (formerly called "Worst Person in the World") segment, in which the vast majority of the nominees were conservatives.

Folks, you don't substitute host a show like Olberman's unless you actually believe in what he has to say and represent.

She has also served as a substitute host for The Rachel Maddow Show, another left wing program.

Then we have Jon Meacham.

Jon Meacham, who not only insists that Newsweek is not a partisan magazine, but also claimed last January that Barack Obama isn't really a liberal... more of a centrist. In fact, he claims, he's even a bit center-right, citing that he "was not about to socialize American medicine" and that he wanted to "end Bush tax cuts in order to return rates to Reagan-era levels" as his source of "proof" of Obama's conservative stances.

Still think that now, Jon?

Not to worry though; WNET.org president Neal Shapiro expressed complete confidence in his choice of anchors.

"They are both incredibly smart. And I think, given their intellect, neither are people you can pigeon-hole left or right. I think they have a history of asking probing question on both sides."

Yeah... you just keep telling yourself that, Neal.

Links:

PBS, NPR Stations get $10 M Infusion for Local News: Brett Zongker, Associated Press, 03/25/2010

Newsweek's Jon Meacham: 'We're not a Partisan Magazine': Kyle Drennen, Newsbusters.org, 04/28/2009

Newsweek's Jon Meacham: 'Obama a Centrist, Not Liberal': Kyle Drennen, Hadnews.com, 01/26/2010

Alison Stewart, Jon Meacham to Anchor WNET Public Affairs Program: Marisa Guthrie, Broadcasting and Cable, 03/17/2010

Alison Stewart bio: Wikipedia