Well, fortunately, it’s not just PBS.
It’s CPB, NPR, PRX, and the rest of the alphabet menagerie of “public” radio and TV networks that exist solely due to government graft. By the way, all radio and TV networks are public, especially the major “legacy” ones (e.g., ABC, CBS, NBC). The only reason that PBS, et al, label themselves “public” is to distinguish them as nonprofit corporations, as compared to their private sector counterparts.
The public stations purport to stay “above the fray,” eschewing the rough-and-tumble world of creating soundbites of the highest quality. The fact is that it’s all about their desire to be considered élite. Yet, as of a couple of weeks ago, the elite stations don’t seem so elite anymore, given that their broadcasts will finally have to compete on a level playing field with the legacy networks and the streaming services.
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” ensured that. We’ll see how PBS and its fellow travelers stand up against Netflix and ESPN. This is economic Darwinism at its best; may the best product survive. (Secretly, the “New York Times” is licking its chops at the prospect of being the sole liberal media icon that remains.)
In a demonstration of just how responsive GOP politicians are to the needs of their constituents, Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota heroically secured a carveout for public stations that serve Native Americans across nine states. Tragically, this is in direct violation of Trump’s principled stand against DEI. It’s yet another example of affirmative action for so-called “marginalized” groups. Of course, this is just part of the sausage-making process in Washington.
Despite Rounds sticking his neck out for Americans who just happen to be Native, one of their leaders is characteristically ungrateful. Loris Taylor, who is the president of Native Public Media, called the carveout “unworkable.” (Taylor represents 57 radio stations and four television stations.) In other words, get ready for more of public radio’s insufferable fundraising fests.
As we have seen in just a few short months, Trump is willing to use his First Amendment rights to go after those same rights when undesirables use them. Thanks to him and his allies, my drive time will soon be more bearable and my television watching more enjoyable.
Hopefully, Burt and Ernie’s “will-they-or-won’t-they” shtick will be assigned to the dustbin of history. (I’m particularly tired of Ernie’s annoying coquettishness.) As a bonus, the cuts will forestall the much-anticipated return of Robert Siegel and Linda Wertheimer to our airwaves.
Serendipitously, it appears that locally produced content will likely to be the first programs on the chopping block as public stations wrestle with the cuts. (At least that’s what several stations on the Left Coast are reporting.) These programs are not worth their weight in fuzzy dice, much less gold. Don’t be fooled, dear reader, by hyperbolic tales of staff cuts and service reductions. Most of our tax dollars go towards bloated administrative staff at these stations.
Some have complained that the cuts would disproportionately harm rural communities. This is an obvious smokescreen. Rural communities are known for their grit and self-reliance. They don’t need government handouts, whether in the form of hospitals or public radio stations. This is a lesson that denizens of big cities — especially the ones who are there illegally — should adopt. Just as we should keep government out of Medicare, we should keep it out of the news business.
Finally, right on cue, Democrats have expressed concern about how these cuts will ostensibly have a negative impact on our democracy.
But, as Thomas Jefferson so aptly put it, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to ban publicly funded news sources.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
(Author’s Note: As much as I despise having to point it out, experience tells me that I need to identify this column as parody. This nation will be far worse off if the opponents of fact-based journalism have their way. God help us.)
Larry Smith is a community leader. Contact him at larry@leaf-llc.com.
