10-3-2012
PBS issued a statement after being mentioned in the presidential debate between Mitt Romney and President Obama. They weren't all that happy with Romney and they have trotted out Big Bird to help get their point across. "Governor Romney does not understand the value the American people place on public broadcasting and the outstanding return on investment the system delivers to our nation. We think it is important to set the record straight and let the facts speak for themselves."
In 2011, the federal government spent about $430 million to support the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which then divided that money between PBS, NPR, and various other stations and programs. Romney said, ?I?m going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS, I love Big Bird. But I?m not going to ? I?m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for.?
The PBS statement went on to say, "For more than 40 years, Big Bird has embodied the public broadcasting mission ? harnessing the power of media for the good of every citizen, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. Our system serves as a universally accessible resource for education, history, science, arts, and civil discourse."
"Each day, the American public receives an enduring and daily return on investment that is heard, seen, read and experienced in public media broadcasts, apps, podcasts, and online ? all for the cost of about $1.35 per person per year. A key thing to remember is that public television and radio stations are locally owned and community focused, and they are experts in working efficiently to make limited resources produce results. In fact, for every dollar of federal funding invested, they raise an additional six dollars on their own ? a highly effective public-private partnership."
(10/4/2012 10:51:16 PM)
Let 'em raise $7 instead of 6. Commercial broadcasters face budget issues like this every day.
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