{"id":762,"date":"2025-08-02T11:01:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T11:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/?p=762"},"modified":"2025-08-07T12:26:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T12:26:04","slug":"in-defense-of-public-broadcasting-wide-ranging-views-community-service-letters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/02\/in-defense-of-public-broadcasting-wide-ranging-views-community-service-letters\/","title":{"rendered":"In defense of\u00a0public broadcasting \u2014 wide-ranging views, community service (Letters)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In defense of\u00a0 public broadcasting — wide-ranging views, community service<\/h4>\n

Re: “I love public radio, but it shouldn’t get a federal subsidy<\/a>,” July 27 commentary<\/p>\n

Like most conservatives, columnist Krista Kafer presents a deceptive argument on the subject of public broadcasting. The abandonment of PBS and NPR funding has little to do with unbalanced reporting. It has more to do with the quality of information — and information has always been kryptonite to the interests of the right wing. The far right sees an informed public as a liability. The last thing they need is a Nova edition documenting man\u2019s contribution to global warming, a concept that their leader \u00a0describes as a hoax.<\/p>\n

I strain to discern a bias when I listen to say, the Friday News Roundup on NPR\u2019s 1A. I simply come away with a deeper understanding of the week\u2019s stories. The conservative \u201cThe Devil\u2019s Advocate\u201d on PBS has been a staple for many years. And most of the programming on the public airwaves is not political, but cultural or educational: Nova, the Ken Burns documentaries, classical music, etc.<\/p>\n

Public broadcasting will never be the darling of conservatives. But our democracy can only be enhanced by an information source that operates with a free hand, unencumbered by the bottom line of profitability.<\/p>\n

Wrong, Krista, to confuse an investment with a subsidy.<\/p>\n

Scott Newell, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down after being defunded by Congress, targeted by Trump<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Thank you, Krista Kafer, for your thoughtful and well-expressed article regarding the reasons we should not be supporting biased news outlets with federal tax dollars — my tax dollars. Great common-sense article!<\/p>\n

Barbara Peck, Aurora<\/em><\/p>\n

Krista Kafer, like many well-meaning but ivory tower conservatives, supports using funding as a weapon. What percentage of PBS programming in small communities is focused on liberally biased news and how many locally sourced news and services will be cut off because conservatives are offended by news programming? Is the only way to influence the programming on PBS to punish Big Bird, emergency broadcasting, and small local stations? How many conservatives have promoted programming on PBS? Where are the William F. Buckley types, educated, informative and involved instead of wielding chainsaws?<\/p>\n

Ms Kafer, I think you need to be haranguing your fellow conservatives to come up with programming that can compete with that provided by \u201cliberals,\u201d and get it on PBS. Whining because the other guys do better at keeping the audience\u2019s interest is lame.\u00a0 One of the best features of the PBS Newshour is when they have guests of opposing viewpoints debating. We need more of that, not less.<\/p>\n

A. Lynn Buschhoff, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n