Newspapers need some PBS of their own
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 | PolicyI was reading today’s Virginian-Pilot editorial claiming that, despite hundreds of tv and radio options on cable, satellite and internet, the world still needs public broadcasting.
It got me thinking…if the Virginian-Pilot thinks government needs to be in the tv and radio business, then it MUST think government needs to start its own newspaper!
Their main argument for PBS is that it offers something the private sector folks don’t offer (silly, but when dealing with liberals, you have to humor them or you never get through a whole column).
“The governor would have a much better point if public broadcasting stations aired the kind of content found on any of those hundreds of other options.” (V-Pilot)
It would help the lefties at the Pilot to watch a few of those hundreds of other options. Or, they could read my column in the Daily Press (the one that doesn’t restrict itself to liberal bloggers writing columns).
“If I can scan past the Discovery Channel, the Science Channel, the History Channel, Animal Planet, The Learning Channel, Bravo, the Travel Channel, Arts & Entertainment, American Movie Classics, Food Network, and Home and Garden Television, I might trip over the public broadcasting station.
“Public affairs programming? C-SPAN shows live coverage of the House and Senate, and there are enough 24-hour news networks to whet any activist’s appetite.” (from my great column)
Certainly, if the Pilot isn’t happy with the programming on all those channels to the point that they insist taxpayer dollars be spent on offering another choice, the Pilot should be absolutely begging for government to offer competition to the one newspaper we get to choose from in South Hampton Roads.
So, what do ya think, Pilot? Ready to support taxpayer funding of another newspaper in town?
Or will you insist that your standards be applied to everyone else except yourselves.
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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13 Responses to "Newspapers need some PBS of their own"
Good gravy, Brian. The Pilot doesn’t want the government to fund a newspaper to compete with them, they want government to subsidize them.
Oh, and thanks for reminding me, I have to post my column running in today’s Daily Press.
Honestly I really can’t believe both of you are criticizing the newspaper when you pimp yourselves out to their competitor…
Hello…See any ethics, conflict or is this just out right self promotion??? I expect better. Clean it up…
@William,
A point of order. The first question is whether a statement is true or false. The nature of the source of information is the second or later question and only becomes important when the first question can’t be verified directly. Courts manage to deal with this all the time.
William,
Get over yourself. I was joking.
However, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if a search of previous Pilot editorials or articles would reveal a lamenting for non-profit newspapers or government subsidies for the media.
Regardless, what about Kirwin’s post is incorrect? His logic is flawless given what the Pilot HAS WRITTEN about PBS.
JR – Kirwin’s logic may be flawless – but his premise is incorrect. Accuracy of conclusion depends upon accuracy of premise. GIGO.
Brian,
Which level of government will own the newspaper?
Could be fun: maybe they’ll make me a reporter. (Hey, I can write better transportation pieces than Debbie Messina.)
OK, I’ll bite, Jay D. What’s inaccurate about Kirwin’s premise? The fact that the Pilot laments about the threat of PBS not getting government funding or the fact that PBS offers something the private sector does not (which is a fallacy by the Pilot).
“they want government to subsidize them”
In light of their pathetic and dwindling readership, the Washington Compost and the NY Times immediately expressed interest in this proposal.
J.R.– First: None of Brian’s premises supporting his argument to eliminate state funding to PBS can be described as objective, quantifiable, observable facts (verifiable truths).
#1 – “failure to be non-partisan”,
#2 – “failure to be relevant”,
#3 – “[inaccurate] news reporting”.
Brian may opine that PBS is outdated crap, but wanting or believing it to be so, doesn’t make it so.
Second: Kirwin’s ignorance on this topic (STATE funding for PBS) is also baffling – too busy prepping for WHRO “What Matters” appearances to research funding facts? Virginia state taxpayer dollars are NOT used to fund general viewing programs …the state funds provide direct support to public education. Again, The Honorable G. William Whitehurst offered up a most compelling argument, from a republican perspective in his Dec 30, 2010 Pilot editorial:
WHRO is school bargain
IN HIS DEC. 22 letter, ‘Small cuts add up,’ the writer asks for ‘one good reason to keep funding PBS.’ I can give him 286,000: That’s the number of K-12 students in Hampton Roads whose educational experiences are directly enriched each time they walk into a classroom through the work his local PBS station WHRO does every day.
Or 25,000 reasons the number of area educators who rely on WHRO’s educational products and services to support them in the classroom. Last year, Video Classroom, WHRO’s video on-demand service, allowed teachers all across the commonwealth to quickly and efficiently access more than 40,000 video segments correlated to Virginia’s standards of learning 2 million times.
Or 3,500 reasons the number of Virginia students who completed advanced placement and world language courses through the Virtual Virginia Advanced Placement School, another service of public broadcasting.
Public broadcasters partner with the Virginia Department of Adult Education to help adult learners prepare for the GED test. Families can access the highest quality children’s programming 24/7, as well as hands-on early childhood workshops for parents. Reaching into every school and nearly every home in Virginia, public broadcasting is the best source of children’s programming available. It features research-based early childhood programs like Super Why!, Sesame Street and Sid the Science Kid, high-quality educational television programming delivered literally every hour of the day.
But if the writer requires only one reason to fund public broadcasting, it is this: Public broadcasters provide vital core educational services to every classroom in the state, enhancing the educational experience for teachers and students alike, at a significant savings for taxpayers.
In Hampton Roads, public schools receive approximately $7 return for every dollar invested in public broadcasting. That bears repeating: WHRO receives $872,000 from the commonwealth, and through careful stewardship and visionary strategic planning saves the taxpayers $7.6 million.
At a time when the economy is foremost in the minds of taxpayers and legislators, such a substantial return on investment particularly in the area of educating the people of Virginia cannot be discounted. ~G. William Whitehurst, Norfolk
I understand Kirwin’s agenda. He just hasn’t come anywhere close to backing it up with a sound argument. Your thoughts?
Jay D, your quarrel isn’t with me. Your quarrel is with the Pilot and public broadcasting, both of which present PROGRAMMING in defense of the funding.
If the money they receive isn’t used for programming, it has been they who have been deceptive in their defense, not I.
Brian, I quarrel with politicos who distribute intentional misinformation to further agendas. In this instance, and I’m sorry to say so, Governor McDonnell has done just that – he knows exactly how state PBS funds are spent (or he should know!), yet asks lawmakers to end state support for public broadcasting because: “I like PBS, it airs great programs, including, if I do say so myself, tonight’s speech. But with hundreds of options in the free market, radio and television programming is not a core function of government requiring $4 million.” … “I think the age of subsidizing public radio and television is over, … It gives one station a competitive advantage over another and I don’t think we need to do that.”
McDonnell intentionally framed this debate around TV programming, forcing PBS supporters to respond (by defending programming). It’s a masterful political move, but incredibly dishonest. If Governor Bob wants to eliminate state PBS funds – fine. But don’t Virginians deserve a truthful, honest, fact-based discussion about what elimination means?
Among other educational programming the PBS stations offer Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trip American history programs.
However, every cable system that I know of has a local educational channel. These are, frankly, shamelessly underused, running the school menu and the PTA meeting schedules.
They could be used for educational programming.
And it is not neccesary to have PBS to get “Sesame Street,” it’s also on Sprout (Along with Barney and a lot of other stuff that will make an adult grind their teeth if they have to watch it.)
I’m not convinced that government funding of PBS is neccesary in the current media environment.
As for newspapers, unless someone can come up with a business model that works for them, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see many papers owned by non-profit foundations.
Steve, We are agreed; Virginia shouldn’t be funding TV programs.
However, that’s not what this funding cut is about. This cut would eliminate state financial support for only that portion of WHRO’s budget which underwrites direct-to-school system services including:
-Video Classroom – 40,000 segments keyed to Virginia SOLs, available in digital format and on demand.
-Virtual Virginia AP School – WHRO operates this program for the state DOEd. VVAPS offers access to advanced placement (honors program) credited coursework – particularly useful to bright students trapped in failing schools where AP budgets were slashed to support mandatory remedial education.
-Peer Connection – IT teachers and media specialists create customized, practical learning experiences and resources to help “grow” better teachers.
The State is NOT currently “in the business of funding public radio and television programming” as the Governor states. But Richmond IS in the business of funding education and education services. So while it’s totally fair that McDonnell proposes eliminating this part of the education budget (PBS funding), I simply want him to make an honest case with more substantive (and factual) conversation. This cut won’t take Big Bird (or any PBS show) off the air … it will gut the educational services WHRO provides to Virginia public school students, teachers and families.
Instinct tells me Gov. Bob framed his position in a very deliberate and well-calculated manner. It will be interesting to see if the discussion gets reshaped before April’s vote.
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