D.C. PBS Station Insists Its 'Call Congress' Ad Doesn't Take Sides -- As It Warns of 'Devastating Effect' on Kiddie Shows
TMC
By Tim Graham | March 08, 2011 | 15:21
The Washington Times took up the issue today of how PBS and NPR
stations exploit their own airwaves to lobby against Republican budget-
cut proposals. Reporter Seth McLaughlin and Stephen Dinan reported
that spokesmen for PBS superstations WGBH in Boston and WETA in
Washington “said their appeals never told their audiences which way to
lobby Congress, but only to call and let their feelings be known.”
A look at WETA’s ad (which we recorded after the February 22
Frontline) shows this is simply and obviously untrue. The announcer
clearly insists the House Republicans are putting kiddie programs at
risk and cuts “will have a devastating effect on WETA and the
television programs you and your family rely on.” Do they really
expect people to agree this isn’t an advocacy ad? Do they think
someone would say "I'm so glad they've inspired me to call and say "I
hate WordGirl and Sid the Science Kid. Please defund those little
jerks.'" Here’s the whole script:
ANNOUNCER: As you may know the House of Representatives has passed a
bill to eliminate all federal funding of public broadcasting. They
want to completely eliminate the federal funding that supports
educational and commercial-free children's programs.
[Over images of children’s TV characters comes the exploitative
graphic: “Eliminate special children’s funding."]
Shows like Sesame Street, WordGirl, and Sid the Science Kid are at
risk. These cuts will have a devastating effect on WETA and the
television and radio programs you and your family rely on - like
Masterpiece. Mystery! NOVA. And the PBS NewsHour. Do your elected
officials know how you feel about funding for public broadcasting?Call
your representatives in Congress today and let them know where you
stand. And for more information visit our Web site at WETA.org.
The 2009 CPB Annual Report shows WETA’s combined radio and television
efforts received over $7.5 million from CPB. There was no line item
for "special children's funding." All the aforementioned shows are
made by profitable private entities: Sesame Street by Sesame Workshop,
WordGirl by Scholastic, and Sid the Science Kid by the Jim Henson
Company.
McLaughlin and Dinan added that some stations are more blatant in
arguing against budget cuts on their taxpayer-funded airwaves: WQED in
Pittsburgh urges on its website to "Stop the Senate From Cutting
Funding for Public Broadcasting and WQED!" The station's also airing a
TV ad featuring historic footage from a 1969 hearing in which Fred
[Mister] Rogers testified for Lyndon Johnson's original $20 million
grant for the new CPB. Rogers died in 2003.
[Hat tip to MRC's Geoffrey Dickens for finding the ad.]