Thoughts on PBS and NPR, Brought to You By the Letters “F” and “U”
My earliest memories include PBS and NPR. And if you are a Gen Xer, yours probably does as well. I vividly recall sitting in the waiting room of my dentist’s and doctor’s offices as a kid, overwhelmed with anxiety and stress, though I didn’t know those words quite yet, nor how they’d impact me in the future, in the background was the unmistakably calming sounds of my local NPR station. The dulcet tones of the announcer’s voice were familiar, calming, and soothing, though I had no idea what they were talking about. It was in stark contrast to the talk radio and baseball games usually blaring out of the speakers of my dad’s Plymouth Volare.
At home, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Dr, Who raised me. The colorful images flickering on our ancient TV were a constant in my life until we got cable, of course. But even then, I still returned to the comfort of PBS for the psychedelic songs teaching me my ABC’s and the possibility of catching one of Spider-Man’s adventures.
There was a sensibility to public broadcasting, a kind aura that emanated from it. It was educational, fun, but also felt important somehow, even to a kid. It also felt omnipresent and permanent, and that was also soothing.
As an adult, I listened to NPR on the radio for news and music, and as a parent, my kids also knew the educational glory of Sesame Street, though entertainment television like SpongeBob dominated their childhood. Yet still, they knew who Grover, Big Bird, and Oscar were almost instinctively. It’s part of our American culture, a baked-in permanence that raised and educated our kids and, most importantly, taught them to be kind.
Somewhere along the way, of course, this meant conservatives HATED it. At first, it was economic. Conservative Reaganism was purportedly about not wasting money. But as the conservative movement rotted and became twisted by hate, suddenly it was that we were wasting money on kindness. Of course, they hide their argument behind claims of socialism, left-leaning one-sidedness, and teaching kids “progressive” values. This means kindness. This means empathy. This means acceptance. This means love. All things conservatives claim to champion but obviously despise.
Finally, this week, congressional Republicans voted to strip over $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). A massive win for hate. The CPB is a publicly funded nonprofit organization that subsidizes more than 1,500 NPR, PBS, and local radio and television stations nationwide. Often, these stations are a vital resource for rural communities to receive news and critical alerts, in addition to Sesame Street. The mission of CPB is “to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services.” Everything about CPB, PBS, and NPR is wholesome. I mean, as stated on their website, while broadcast remains the main outlet for reaching Americans, public media has expanded to include digital and mobile platforms for creating, communicating, and curating content that educates, inspires, and entertains. WHOLESOME!
The Republicans mask this as a HUGE savings for the American people, while their true intent is far more nefarious. They wish to silence what they consider to be “left-leaning” or “progressive” while also finding a way to fund their tax cuts for the ultra wealthy. It’s obvious in the language they use. Sitting President Trump’s top funder and former top advisor, Elon Musk, believes that empathy, a core tenet taught and championed by PBS, is a “weakness”. Conservatives froth at the mouth for NPR supporting democratic principles and delivering the news in a non-biased, fact-based way as “liberal”.
So, what can we do? Unfortunately, there is not much we can do. MAGA is systematically dismantling our republic while replacing the Constitution with Project 2025. There seems to be no stopping them, with Elon Musk and Peter Thiel funding them and Stephen Miller and Mike Johnson pulling the strings from the inside. Start by listening to NPR and watching PBS. Then, support your local NPR and PBS stations financially. Becoming a sustained supporter is best; give what you can. Call your reps, yes, even the Republican ones, and let them know how you feel about this. Follow NPR, PBS, CPB, and your local stations on social media. Dark times are ahead, but remember, K is for Kindness.
