Is Public Broadcasting Needed Anymore?

[deskslave]

Why would they? How could they compete against a commercial free, subsidized competitor?

Technically commercial-free, yes, but there's not much difference between "This programming is sponsored by FedEx, the delivery experts" and a FedEx commercial. In fact, given that the sponsorship spots are frequently read by the on-air talent, I'd argue there's a degree of gravitas that normal advertising doesn't have.

 

[YankeeFan]

They sure as hell aren't filling the gap now.

Why would they? How could they compete against a commercial free, subsidized competitor?

No one is competing against the Post Office for basic, residential mail service. Now, I'm not suggesting we put the Post Office out of business, but if it did go away, that service would be replaced by the private sector. But (besides the fact that it's illegal), to compete against the Post Office now would be suicidal.

The Post Office has a ton of competition -- FedEX, UPS, email, newspapers delivering fliers etc.

Radio has been watered down to the least common denominator. For the most part, Screechy talk radio and pop stations playing the same songs over and over.

I don't want to get into a big argument here about the Post Office, but FedEx and UPS have picked off some of the Post Office's most profitable business.

No one competes -- in fact its illegal -- with their basic mail service. And, even if they could, they'd be fools. It's horribly expensive to deliver to every mailbox in the U.S. It's the same reason why you read about the "digital divide". It's expensive to wire all of those rural areas and so they argue for subsidies. (At which point, I've just -- unintentionally -- made the argument for rural NPR stations.

 

[YankeeFan]

Why would they? How could they compete against a commercial free, subsidized competitor?

Technically commercial-free, yes, but there's not much difference between "This programming is sponsored by FedEx, the delivery experts" and a FedEx commercial. In fact, given that the sponsorship spots are frequently read by the on-air talent, I'd argue there's a degree of gravitas that normal advertising doesn't have.

It's still much less than commercial radio where the ads are endless -- a result of the consolidation in the industry. (They had a lot of debt to pay off.)

And, the sponsorship messaging is nice, but it doesn't usually come with the brand messaging companies want in a true advertisement.

 

[YankeeFan]

And, I agree with Michael. It's the long form news, interviews, and foreign news that makes it worth listening to.

If they were doing traffic and weather on the eights, it would ruin it.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Why would they? How could they compete against a commercial free, subsidized competitor?

Technically commercial-free, yes, but there's not much difference between "This programming is sponsored by FedEx, the delivery experts" and a FedEx commercial. In fact, given that the sponsorship spots are frequently read by the on-air talent, I'd argue there's a degree of gravitas that normal advertising doesn't have.

It's still much less than commercial radio where the ads are endless -- a result of the consolidation in the industry. (They had a lot of debt to pay off.)

And, the sponsorship messaging is nice, but it doesn't usually come with the brand messaging companies want in a true advertisement.

The nature of the sponsorship message has changed in the last 20 years. Used to be that they'd either a) not include any taglines or mentions of products, or b) craft a PBS/NPR-specific message (particularly for children's shows). Now a lot of them take the pro forma route to traditional advertising.

 

[Bamadog]

Funding of NPR is not an essential service of the federal government.

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

We're looking at debt into the trillions as far as the eye can see. You could argue that NPR's money is not that big a slice of the pie, but you've got to start somewhere. Budget cuts are like a knifefight in a phone booth. Everything gets cut. Everybody gets hurt.

 

[Ace]

Why is that conservative folks don't get really worked up about the budget deficits unless a Democrat is in the White House?

 

[Stitch]

You're missing the big picture.

Unless massive cuts for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and defense are on the table, anything else means little. Lawmakers like to pick on the programs to help the poor because those constituents don't fund their campaigns.

Let's start with defense. Pull out all armed forces from every foreign country and let Guard members go home.

 

[93Devil]

Funding of NPR is not an essential service of the federal government.

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

We're looking at debt into the trillions as far as the eye can see. You could argue that NPR's money is not that big a slice of the pie, but you've got to start somewhere. Budget cuts are like a knifefight in a phone booth. Everything gets cut. Everybody gets hurt.

You could also say this about libraries and state parks, right?

 

[Stitch]

Funding of NPR is not an essential service of the federal government.

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

We're looking at debt into the trillions as far as the eye can see. You could argue that NPR's money is not that big a slice of the pie, but you've got to start somewhere. Budget cuts are like a knifefight in a phone booth. Everything gets cut. Everybody gets hurt.

You could also say this about libraries and state parks, right?

You could also cut the requirement for public notices to appear in newspapers.

 

[wicked]

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

If the government stops subsidizing Amtrak, it should also stop subsidizing the interstate highway system. The amount of money spent on road construction and maintenance in this country -- a $15 billion, underground 2-mile highway through downtown Boston, for starters -- dwarfs any investment made in public transportation.

 

[Ace]

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

If the government stops subsidizing Amtrak, it should also stop subsidizing the interstate highway system. The amount of money spent on road construction and maintenance in this country -- a $15 billion, underground 2-mile highway through downtown Boston, for starters -- dwarfs any investment made in public transportation.

Agreed. Let me keep my taxes, and I'll happily build my own roads wherever I want to go.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Funding of NPR is not an essential service of the federal government.

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

We're looking at debt into the trillions as far as the eye can see. You could argue that NPR's money is not that big a slice of the pie, but you've got to start somewhere. Budget cuts are like a knifefight in a phone booth. Everything gets cut. Everybody gets hurt.

You could also say this about libraries and state parks, right?

You could also cut the requirement for public notices to appear in newspapers.

Anything to keep more and more of the public in the dark about the public's business . . .

 

[Double J]

The costs to broadcast are now incredibly low. (There's already Free Libyan Radio on the air in Eastern Libya.) It's the license and regulations that make it expensive.

Talk hard!

 

[RickStain]

[quote author=Bamadog lin

Funding of NPR is not an essential service of the federal government.

It's time for our government to quit subsidizing activities (like Amtrack, NPR, agriculture, GM, TARP, etc.) that are not part of its constitutionally-limited responsibilities and should be the exclusive province of the private sector. If you can't swim without a fat subsidy taken out of my wallet, you really don't need to be around. Sink or swim.

*actually reads Constitution*

Oh look, the government is not only allowed, but directed to "promote the General Welfare."

 

[Charlie Brown]

There are some posts on here that worry and scare me, and not only because they appear on a site with the word journalists in the title. Wow. Just, you know, wow.

Yeah, NPR funding is sucking us dry, but let's keep playing world police and keep the military industrial complex humming so we can "defend our nation's freedoms" ... many, many miles from our shores.

 

[J-School Blue]

The "cost" of public broadcasting is negligible, so it boils down to a philosophical debate. If you're taking a red pen to the Federal budget this doesn't even make a dent.

The second post of this thread pretty much nailed it. When you get down to brass tacks, nobody's going to "defund" Sesame Street.

 

[deskslave]

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to a budget surplus?

 

[Azrael]

Two weeks worth of government subsidies to corn growers would cover NPR's annual budget.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

My question isn't about budget cutting and balanced budgets. It's about the government's role in providing this content. For some of our colleagues in radio, our tax dollars, however much, are being used to prop up competition. Would you want the government taking money out of your check so it could prop up another paper in your town?

Likewise, if the work that's done is so good and so important and so popular, isn't there a market out there to fund it and support it?