It is really time for Big Bird and Elmo to retire? In last week's first Presidential Debate, Mitt Romney said that he loves Big Bird, but he would cut public funding for PBS. Is that really fair?
For the record, about 1/100th of the Federal Budget is spent on PBS. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and NPR get about 281 million from Congress. 210 million go directly to the individual stations. 71 million goes to PBS directly. Not much of that 71 million goes to produce episodes of Sesame Street. Overall, the CPB gets about 12% of it's revenue from Congress. 88% comes from other sources.
PBS in the budget or not, cutting PBS will not save the US Tax Payer a lot of money. Chances are, if every American will look under his or her couch cushions, we will find enough money to keep PBS operating. It is more akin to your favorite sports bar taking down 1 TV to save electricity. Every little bit helps, but this alone will not do the trick. It will not even come close.
The real problem, if the CPB is dismissed, is the amount of money that goes directly to your local stations. Now, those of us who watch PBS regularly will occasionally have our favorite shows and concerts interrupted with pledge drives. We, as individuals, often directly support our favorite PBS stations through our own pledges.
That is likely where most of the money your local PBS station needs to operate comes from, directly from your pledges. But every little bit helps, and whatever comes from Congress helps keep some of those stations on the air.
Here is the problem with Federal Funding. Getting overloaded on the monthly budgets happens the way it does for you and for me. A dollar here and a dollar there adds up to hundreds each month. A library fine, a late fee for a credit card payment. New wiper blades. Too much of that and one is in the red. When the Public Deficit is as high as it is, every little bit that can be cut helps.
PBS can likely get by without Federal Funding. Even if PBS goes away, Big Bird will find a new home on either Nickelodeon or on the Disney Channel or some other station that caters to youngsters. It will not be difficult at all. Sesame Street is a brand that sells, and would make a valuable commercial property. Other PBS shows will have to find ways to enter America's living rooms, and many will. Sesame Street does not need public dollars to survive. Some other shows do. Many that are produced locally and shown locally would not hit the airwaves without public dollars.
There is one other service that PBS provides. Experience. Most PBS stations are run out of local colleges and universities. Many who work behind the scenes in TV and Radio get their start at PBS and NPR stations. Yes, there are other ways to break into the biz. Many people start directly at commercial TV and Radio stations. It is very hard to buy experience; without PBS, a channel that is used to get students from the classroom to an actual paying job will be lost. Even if federal dollars are cut, the practical experience that many young people get working for PBS and NPR stations is worth trying to keep these stations going.
Sure, we can kill the CPB if we wish to. But let's keep the valuable training ground going. Let's find another way...even if PBS stations have to begin showing, gulp, commercials.
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