"Will It Be Good For America"

Sooner or later those great protectors of free speech in the

Republican controlled Congress will vote to curtail or eliminate government financial support of CPB, PBS, and NPR. This comes out of that great democratic practice of "If you don't agree with me, I will have you killed."

Commercial broadcasters use the publicly owned spectrum, and are not required to pay for it. If the government were to "auction" the spectrum used by broadcasters it would bring in many billions of dollars. Why is it OK for the media giants to receive this largess from the government while ignoring their obligations?

In theory, stations are to perform in the "public interest, convenience and necessity." Notwithstanding its ambiguity, this phrase remains the regulatory cornerstone of telecommunications policy in the United States, although it has always been subject to prevailing political forces.

I believe there is a "You don't hurt me, and I won't hurt you" scenario in play, and that most broadcasters are in some sort of silent conspiracy with the government about this.

America's commercial broadcasters are not monitored for bias, but public radio and television stations are. Public broadcasters are always in danger of losing at least some of their funding from the government because of this supposed bias.

Does this mean that if you are a private company in media you can do and say whatever you like, but a public broadcaster cannot?

Public radio and television present another voice amid an ocean of private sector voices. Why should this voice be stifled in any way?

Other broadcasters should have stepped up to support CBS in the Janet Jackson "event" as well as the Dan Rather fiasco. Broadcasters who purportedly support free speech should bring all of these issues to their viewers on a regular basis, and support continued funding of public broadcasting. The creative community should step up with their support as well.

Freedom of the press is not some obscure abstraction to be discussed at cocktail parties. Administrations have always desired to stifle dissent as best as they can wherever they can. As the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, we should have a well-funded public broadcasting service. It should speak with whatever voice it chooses, and should not have to concern itself about political pressure in order to retain funding.

Accept that everyone will not like everything that the public broadcasting voice says all of the time.

Killing taxpayer funding of public radio and television is tantamount to killing one more of our freedoms, something that has been in vogue for the last four and a half years.

Norman Horowitz
Media Person

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