NPR/PBS addicts unite!

“Nigal, I'll try not to be a bellend ;op. I think it's important though.
PBS and NPR have become the latest organizations to come under fire from the rampant right as it doesn't push a Fox News-style agenda. They are fairly balanced and give all sides of opinion airtime. The Newshour team were given all those Presendential debates as they're seen for their impartiality. I think it's great to have a station that doesn't have to cowtow to advertizers in the way that all other networks do.

It's also great not to have ads blasted at you every five minutes (I hate the way they increase the volume for ads btw).

The bunny visiting the lesbain couple didn't help this either. This is ALL politically motivated.

You've got something worthwhile there, don't try to destroy it by making it like all the other zillions of channels out there which are not worth the airtime.”

“Correction:

The CPB gives 15% NOT 1% of the total funds. the cuts would be from $400 million to $300 million. Still, Public Broadcasting is quality enough to stand on it's own. We have more important things we can spend these savings on.”

“y2 - I would complain if NPR pushed any political agenda.

The worse thing the government could push, though, is a bigger government, which is what they push.

Aren't you upset they push a certain political viewpoint? Don't you think that's wrong for government to do that?”

“I agree with Nigal, my buddy.”

“there is more to supporting NPR/PBS than the political programs. Quite a few good shows come on every evening.”

“Sarge - PBS and NPR doesn't push a political agenda. It's just those on the right who object to it not pushing their agenda.
I say again - they make sure they give all sides of the matter airtime and don't go easy on Democrats and Hard on Republicans.”

“I support my local NPR station with an annual donation. I listen for the news/discussion.

My youngest (4 yr old) is a big classical music fan. We were listening to the classical music program they run after 7 pm and I was explaining to her how radio works. I told her I liked NPR and sent them money. She said, “I like this station too. Send them some money for me!”

Looks like I’ll be kicking in extra.”

“Huh, huh,...he said "hard on"....”

“I think it'll survive on its own - I think NPR in particular got a huge endowment, was it from a member of the McD's family?
But you put 15% cuts in anywhere and it's gonna effect what can be done.”

“I think it’s a shame that programs like Sesame Street and others that might not be produced in a free market may become victims of the right’s desire for total control over all information.

How many kids have gone to school that much more prepared because of PBS?

Let’s take a step backwards as we enter an even more competitive world economy.”

“y2 - Yeah right!

They push the liberal agenda and you know it. Don't give me that garbage about giving both sides. They get some goof ball "conservative" who is really a moderate and call him a conservative. Dude, even they admit they have a problem promoting one side over another and are starting to crack down on it.”

“Let's not forget about one chunk of money also. That beinf the marketing cash they take in from all that Barney crap that's sold, all the dvds and the like. Public broadcasting is more than able to take care of itself.”

“Sarge, I don't know what station you listen to that pushes a liberal agenda. I listen to NPR all the time because I need to get a balanced view and because the quality of programming is better than Clear Channel's chewing gum for the mind.

Since you've said you are ultra conservative, the point is that anything to the left of you sounds to you like it is a liberal agenda. That's your own prejudice at work.

The budget cuts will end up hurting smaller communities where NPR is maybe the only balanced voice out there.

I really don't understand why you think they're pushing any agenda at all. They have conservative commentators and liberal commentators. They read letters critical of them, that express other views.

Man, what kind of selecto-filters do you have on your ears? Or is it all that classical music that pi$$e$ you off?”

“Y2, I think we would have to admit that NPR is not straight down the middle. They ARE however more balanced than any other outlet and this is why I listen. Hell, my local station comes out of, arguably, the most extreme, leftist, liberal arts college in the nation (Antioch University) and I still don't think they push the liberal agenda.”

“Geo, it's the paranoia, stupid!!”

“Geo - The music they play sucks! There is maybe 1 or 2 good shows on the weekend. They do have one nice musical show Saturday night where they play blues. Most of the week though when I'm in the car and turn to them they're playing some hypno-psychotic earth music that sounds like it was made from bugs. Actually, one song I heard the guy was singing something about floating on a bugs wings. It was truly pathetic.

I also agree that most of the "normal" news they give is pretty fair. Can't complain. But when they launch into some special coverage - forget about it.

And please, don't tell me I have "filters" or things "sound one way to me because I'm conservative", etc... I understand both sides. I am only recently a conservative. I was just as liberal as any other dope-smoking hippy on here for a lot of my life.

Unless you were once a conservative, you have no business telling me I have filters. If anything, I've been very open minded during my life. Maybe from your persepective, it doesn't seem that way, but that says more about you than me.”

“The liberals are coming to take me away away away ...”

“You don't know my perspective, Sarge.”

“Who'd you vote for in 2000 again Geo?”

“Geo - I never claimed to.”

“I've been listening to NPR for about 11 years now, everyday. I don't hear bias for one side more than the other. You might catch a piece here and there that speaks about one side's views more than the other but it goes both ways. It's good to listen to other opinions and the reasons for them once in awhile.

I value that there aren't any commercials during Aurthur and Clifford more than I can say. The children's programming is far superior to any other on cable.”

“Geo voted for that black-hearted bum...............Dubya.


It takes a *full freak fanatic fascist to believe that public broadcasting "promotes socialism".

*credit to Oddball.....Kelly's Heros”

“Kratt's Creatures and Wishbone kept my kids interest when they were younger.”

“There is a fine arts community out there that would disagree with you, big time, Sarge! I worked at several NPR stations. The politics is only a small part of their programming. The classical music stations that are heard commercially are dwarfed by the support the NPR stations get for fine arts programming. Perhaps, that is why there are so few of them. Jazz, also. How many jazz stations can make in CC's market these days. There's a real need for alternative programming. So, a few liberal commentators piss you off? Man, you are missing so much of the big picture here, it's not funny! Non-commercial programming is not as much about politics as you think. perhaps, you don't know this because you don't like their music (you said so yourself)...”

“NPR is leftist because they don't promote stoning for adulerers.”

“Wishbone is gone but the Kratt bros still have a show. It's so nice to not have to worry about the crap propaganda commercials filling my daughters mind with things she MUST have, garbage she MUST eat and places she'll DIE if she doesn't get to go to.

Postcards from Buster is such a great show I watch it with her when we can catch it.”

“Tree - Like I said, most of their news is fine IMO. This discussion was also about NPR I believe.

I believe that if there is a real need for jazz stations, people will listen to them and entrepreneurs will create them. The jazz stations in my area keep failing.

I'm totally #&%!$ing sick of people telling me I'm missing the #&%!$ing picture. I've been extremely reserved believe it or not on my opinions about other's missing the #&%!$ing picture. Give me your opinion, but stop telling me what I know and don't know Treebeard. You're a nice guy, I truly like you, but it's not the first time you've said I don't "know" something you know. I'm #&%!$ing sick of it - and if you're trolling - you got me.

Yes, a few liberal commentators piss me off when we're talking about a government sponsored news agency telling people what to think when we're discussing life and death and how to spend our money. Yes, it pisses me off and it should piss you off.

Whatever happened to liberals despising "the man"?

I don't care if non-commercial programming spends ONE MINUTE on propaganda. It's too much!

Commercialize it. Like Nigal said, enough people listen to it to pay for it.

You want an example of me holding back? MarkOs comment about it keeping his kids attention almost made me throw up. You have no idea how irresponsible that comment sounds to me. I'm sure he's a good parent, but that comment in itself is ridiculous and one I'd expect of a mindless drone irresponsible retarded person. Marko, I'm sure you're a great parent, and I'm only commenting on that one comment by itself. I understand there is a greater context and soundbites on here are limiting. But that's an example of me holding back on other's views on here. (until now)
last edited: 6/16/05 2:22:00 PM”

“i listen to *all things considered*
IMO it's a lot like the daily show with jon stewart with more subtle humor.”

“Hey Sarge, you're missing the #&%!$ing point, you #&%!$ing conservative #&%!$ing goose-stepper.

America: love it or leave it.”

“Bless you Phaedrus. Bless you.”

“One show that IS leftist leaning and downright slanted is that one show the guy does. I don't remember his name but he does the voice of Priciple Skinner on the Simpsons.”

“hey kettle, errrr sarge, you've told me more than once that i'm missing the picture.

just for the record i'm not #&%!$ing sick of it, and if you're trolling then you haven't- gotten me :)”

“be specific”

“me?”

“Well, I WAY disagree with the commercialization argument. There's enough of that in the market. Y2 covered that above.

I am not trolling. You know that I pay attention to this sort of subject matter, having been directly involved in it in the past. Please don't think I was deliberately trying to get under your skin. When i said you were missing the big pic, it was said as part of a reaction to your posts. Nothing more intended.

Personally, I think that it's ok for the government to pitch in for non-commercial programming. It stays away from censorship and yet partially funds something that is, to me, educational and fills a void in the commercial market. I think it's fant5astic that the gov't is willing to do that. No, jazz stations can't make it, for example. It doesn't happen anymore. We haven't had a commercial jazz station in over 20 years. Yet, there are more jazz clubs in this town than you can count. So, the market is there. This is one example of filling that void.

Then, there is programming that may not be suitable for a full time format. You have shows like Pririe Home Companion, the Car Talk Show, Children's shows, et. Where does this fit into a commercial format. It doesn't work. Sorry, guys, but it ain't gonna fly...
last edited: 6/16/05 2:30:26 PM”

“yes you”

“(sigh)
My guys are all over six feet tall now and just not into that stuff anymore.

Postcards From Buster??
Is Buster a dog?

I mentioned the Kratts to my 22 year old just the other day and he almost got teary.

I remember bacpac saying once that, "...NPR is so far left all they can to is go around in circles..."

Hmmmm, I enjoy listening to The Marketplace Report in the morning and evening.
That's hardly a socialist agenda.
I can't recall ever hearing of any sort of labor-related report.”

“"MarkOs comment about it keeping his kids attention almost made me throw up. You have no idea how irresponsible that comment sounds to me."

Sarge, please explain?

What I meant is that they were for the most part silent as they watched and fairly fascinated by these wonderful shows.
They were broadcast after school.
Wishbone was a talking Jack Russell terrier/detective.
Kratt's Creatures was all about the Kratt Brothers and their educational and partly silly exploration of wild places all over the world and the animals they "discovered".

Are you suggesting that I was letting the TV raise my kids while I played "drunken homemaker"?”

“from your own keyboard just yesterday:

sacco - You have no idea what you're talking about. I think that's the 3rd time I've said that. The more you talk, the more you will look foolish when we're both dead recounting our lives. Keep talking.”
Sarge
3:11:11 PM


now i will admit, you did not use the exact phrase "you're missing the picture"

but it's awwwwfully close.

so maybe i was wrong to infer that you were a kettle calling the pot black.

you're a charcoal colored iron water container calling the pot black.”

“The government pays for 15 percent of it. It's at least 15% non-liberal.

The rest of you: friggin deal with it.”

“Call me irresponsible......”

“sacco - That was in reference to you talking about me. I think I know myself better than you. What do you think? If I told Tree he had red hair, and he said "no, I have brown hair", I wouldn't get offended. It's him telling me what I think that bothers me. You don't understand this concept do you? never mind

MarkO - I'm suggesting that's what that comment sounded like. Not that's what you did.”

“MarkO - irresponsible.”

“Yeah, that's what I thought you thought........that I thought.........

When the three boys were about 5 to 13 we would have anywhere from three to eight young kids watching intently as Wishbone played a Doggie Sherlock Holmes.

And all the while some trash merchants are not trying to get my kids to eat or buy their crap......like Sassafras said.”

“MarkO- Kratt brothers = Zaboomafoo, right? The one with the lemur puppet and all the animals they feature?”

“Geo. You might like listening to Radio 4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/ Click on the listen to Radio Four FM link (you prolly don't want the cricket commentary on Long Wave).

Nice piece on the Galapagos at the moment.”

“You bet, treebait!!!”

“fair enough. that's a valid point, sarge.”

“The Republicans will be remembered as the party that killed the clean air act, Sesame Street, Social Security and led us into Iraq.

Maybe they need more rope.”

“Ynami, I can't do that at work. I'll save the link and check it out at home sometime.”