Support for Public Broadcasting Doesn't Come From Trump's New FCC Chair

[Mark Jeffries]

For eons, the right has tried to take away federal funds for PBS, NPR and their stations, but Trump's new FCC chairman Brendan Carr is claiming that underwriting messages on PBS and NPR and their stations are crossing the line into commercials:

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5281162/fcc-npr-pbs-investigation

The federal laws say that non-commercial stations can run underwriting announcements as long as they don't contain price information, comparisons or, most notably, a "call to action" ("Try Krunchie-Wunchies today--they're flavortastic!"). Since the underwriting laws were changed 35 years ago, some pubcaster supporters have complained about them, mostly on general principles and usually from either the far left about anything representing Evil Corporate Capitalist AmeriKKKa (even if the announcements on most radio stations, especially in small markets, are from local small businesses) or classical music hardcores who don't want their Bach and Beethoven sullied by "advertising" between pieces.  Still, at least 90 percent of non-commercial stations run them (the exceptions being the few college stations that are totally funded by the school and fundraising and "community" stations like the eternally struggling Pacifica group).  And one would think that the right would be totally in favor of anything that reduces government funding (and where the Bible-thumping noncoms are usually the ones playing fast and loose with the regulations)--oh, that's right, they want PBS and NPR out of business and all of those frequencies taken over by EMF (the "K-Love" people) or Rev. Billy Bob's Cathedral of Faith Healing and Snake Handling.

[Joe Hass]

To borrow from the great Steve McCroskey, "Looks like I picked the wrong presidency to quit drinking."

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[Kevin M.]

Semi-related, longtime Christian radio chain known as The Fish (yep, the jokes write themselves) have sold to the K-Love people. The general expectation is they will switch from Christian pop music to extremist right wing talk. 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/the-fish-salem-ccm-sale-emf-klove-purchase/

Kevin M. (RPCV)

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[Mark Jeffries]

The article states that EMF wants to keep the stations music.  It's Salem that's doubling down on rightwing talk (and they don't subscribe to Nielsen in many of their major markets, including NY, where I believe Joe Piscopo is still doing a show on WWDJ "The Answer."

Mark Jeffries
spotl...@gmail.com

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[Kevin M.]

I’ll make you a gentleman’s wager that a year from now, all the former Fish stations will have changed formats. 

I’m a God-fearing Christian who cannot stand Christian pop music. There is more soul to be found in blues music performed by atheists. But in my circle, I am frequently subjected to Fish and K-Love, and they are so completely identical (in their blandness) that there isn’t room for both of them in any given city if they are going to be owned by the same company. 

Kevin M. (RPCV)

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