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PBS Facing Station Defections
The Public Broadcasting System (PBS), which has been fending off Congressional threats to its public funding, is facing new threats to its future as stations contemplate leaving the PBS system.
Last year longtime affiliate KCET in Los Angeles announced its intention to not renew its contract with PBS, citing the burdensome dues that had risen 40% to $7 million just as the economy soured and donations to the station dropped.
Even though PBS found another station to replace KCET, their move apparently emboldened other stations to consider leaving as well.
According to The New York Times, Chicago’s WTTW almost left the system citing an operating deficit of $4.2 million while they paid $4.5 million in dues to PBS.
WTTW”s president and CEO Dan Schmidt told the Times that other PBS stations in the Chicago area can air the same content for less money and that viewers can see much of that same content on PBS.org.
Schmidt decided to stick with PBS and try to make it work. But if he can’t turn around the station’s finances, either by raising more money or getting PBS to adjust the dues, he may be forced to leave.
Last year the station in Waco, Texas shut down for financial reasons, and WMFE in Orlando is being sold to new owners who have no plans to pay the $1 million in dues to stay in the fold.
The stations in Los Angeles and Orlando, however, may be just the tip of the iceberg as others may follow them if state and federal funding falls through.
Despite the defections PBS remains committed to its liberal programming agenda. Even though its federal funding will remain intact, state funding is less assured and that may prove to be its Achilles heel as it tries to keep the system from falling apart.
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About the author
Don Irvine is Chairman of Accuracy in Media. He is active on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow him @donirvine to read his latest thoughts.
12 Comments for PBS Facing Station Defections
PBS isa total waste its time it was shut down totaly shut down
PBS needs to be shut down…agreed. It is past it’s useful life and a total waste of taxpayer or anyone’s money. A great place states can cut funding to balance budget. Put those liberal media idiots on the unemployment line….and food stamps and they can get a real life experience of obamanomics.
No public funding for them.
I love PBS, and would hate to see them decline. I have enjoyed many great, excellent shows over the years, and still watch some, including Charlie Rose and the Masterpiece offerings. Still, I oppose public funding because of their leftist bias.
PBS should just try non news programming to keep funding, if feasible.
To remain viable, all PBS has to do is provide news without the liberal bias. People would come back in droves.
Alas, I fear I ask the impossible, given their broadcast history.
I’ve been getting a kick out of the hysterical ads PBS has been running to save their rears. ‘WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN OR YOUR CHILDREN WILL DIE!!’
I really don’t see any point in a publicly-funded TV station in this age of social and fiscal decline. If they have any good shows (I do like Antiques Roadshow), then they should be fine on cable.
Sesame Street ain’t gonna vanish into thin air without tax money; channels will be falling over themselves trying to sign them up.
Thier acuialy say that chiapet? What a bunch of liars
I was being goofy on that one, but the ads are practically that screechy. They say stuff like ‘The world’s biggest classroom will be closed’ and whiny junk like that.
Dues? Federal AND state funding? Private (?) donations? I can see a racket in all of this. Where does all that money go? To a Swiss bank account. When I watch something on PBS and watch them state that they are a “corporation” funded by “public and private money”, I am reminded of that ole’ PT Barnum quote. “There’s a sucker born every minute!”
I’m a bit disappointed in the commentary here about PBS. Sure, they may have liberal bias. But what about the simple aspect of it being THE last public broadcasting station left on television. Have you all really fed into the mainstream media that heavily to say that this kind of programming deserves to be removed for another tv station filled with commercials and reality tv, all which will be corporately owned? Sure, this may be only the LA station, but that’s a large amount of people that you’re removing from the last standing public station. But who is next? Don’t deny that it could become a trend.
I agree: PBS should not be politically bias. It would be a place of political salvation on television as we are all assaulted by the opposing poles, FOX and CNBC. But don’t talk about removing a station, strange and diverse (therefore boring to a large amount of viewers) as it has always been. Turn off Jersy Boys at least Sesame Street will teach you a thing or two.
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