By Mark Windsor, KERA 90.1 commentator
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-476607.mp3
Commentary: Conservative Support of Public Broadcasting Comes With Hefty Conditions
Dallas, TX –
Tomorrow, the United States Senate will begin consideration of a bill to restore full funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in next year's federal budget. Before the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a similar bill, KERA ran a supportive editorial from "free market conservative" Merrie Spaeth. Ms. Spaeth supports the restoration of funds because she feels that public broadcasting is a critical means for conservatives to reach audiences that wouldn't normally agree with us.
Though our politics may be similar in many respects, my view of this particular bill differs from Ms. Spaeth's based primarily on the substance of public broadcasting. Let's be clear on one thing right up front. I am not opposed, in principal at least, to the federal government providing partial funding for public broadcasting. You heard that right. A Texas conservative just said he wouldn't mind putting public money into public broadcasting. However, my support of public broadcasting would come with a hefty condition. As a social conservative, I am very much opposed to federal funding for a media outlet so heavily biased as public broadcasting has been over the years.
Here's something from Ms. Spaeth's original piece. Quote: "This debate is happening because it's payback time. Conservatives think public broadcasting is dominated by liberals who hate us." End Quote.
Sorry. I just don't buy this. It's not about who hates whom, a desire for revenge, or even the ferocity with which these debates are sometimes entered into. In reality, this debate is about the broad and long-standing liberal bias exhibited in public broadcasting over the course of many, many years. At an even more basic level, it's also about universal moral and ethical values held by large numbers of Americans that are not recognized by some of the individuals in control of public broadcasting. Examples are many:
During the tragedy that was the Terri Schiavo story, NPR's coverage often included multiple experts in support of the husband's efforts to remove Mrs. Schiavo's feeding tube, while no one was interviewed for the other side of the story.
In his April 26th episode of "Wide Angle", Bill Moyers - one of the most prominent names in public broadcasting - took a lengthy swipe at religion by featuring a soft interview with a Catholic dissenter. Mr. Moyers didn't see fit to invite anyone that would support the existence of a moral truth greater than the conscience of the individual. In fact, in one review of Moyers' work, which surveyed 75 pieces aired on public broadcasting stations over a six-month period in 2004, only 13 stories included anyone who spoke against the thrust of the segment.
And could anyone make a cartoon for kids featuring a lesbian couple in Vermont, and seriously think that conservatives wouldn't go shrieking into the night? These are the kinds of things that drive conservatives absolutely nuts.
Public money should not go to support biased media, regardless of whether that bias is conservative or liberal. I don't think anyone out there would suggest that the federal government partially fund the Fox News Channel or Rush Limbaugh's radio show. In the same vein, public money should not be used to support CNN or the New York Times editorial page.
Public broadcasting does offer many worthy programs that would not exist without public money. However, to qualify for that public money, those programs should return to the A-B-C, 1-2-3 ideas of their beginnings, and offer news that's truly unbiased. They should get out of politics, political correctness, and any agenda you'd care to name. Until that happens, the debate over CPB funding will not go away, and nor should it.
Listener Mark Windsor responding to 90.1 commentator Merrie Spaeth's recent piece on funding for public broadcasting. If you have opinions, questions or rebuttals about this commentary, call (214) 740-9338 or email us.
For more information about federal funding of public broadcasting from KERA, click here.