Back in the late 80s, I fell for the PBS slogan – “funded by viewers like you.”
I was naive back then, and honestly believed that my (measly few) bucks actually kept PBS alive and well. Obviously, I was wrong. My tax dollars were already funding PBS and once I found this out, the next time someone called from my local PBS station for a pledge, I let them have it.
Well, American taxpayer dollars are still funding PBS. For example, 
according to the Tennessee Pork Report and the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, “public television stations across the state will receive $3,286,800 from state taxpayers during the 2011-2012 fiscal year. While Gov. Haslam initially sought to cut public television funding by 250,000 annually, the legislature amended the budget at the last minute, not only negating the cuts but also increasing public television’s funding by $250,000 more than it received last year. With the rise of online videos and the expansion of network and cable television, public television should not continue to rely on government subsidies to air its message. It should be left to market forces, just as private television stations are forced to compete with one another.”
I agree. If public television is so wonderful, why can’t it get private funding and compete with the rest of the stations. I never watch any show on PBS without recording it because, more often than not, my husband and I will be watching something, like the recent Andrea Bocelli White Christmas special, and they’ll break after three songs and the maggots will be on trying to get me to send them money. Uh, excuse me, I already send you money!
