PBS's role is to ensure that there is a forum on television for subjects which otherwise may not be available on television. They entertain and educate children, represent the arts and provide music based programming. Also they are responsible for presenting controversial news stories without any biases. In theory they are free from the vices of advertising and greed. The public broadcasting network is set up to serve the public.
Unfortunately, the air of objectivity surrounding PBS has come under extreme scrutiny. Accusations of biased and inferior journalism have surfaced. In light of frontlines stories on Reagan, should PBS continue to thrive with the support of taxpayer dollars?
The first question to consider is whether or not the Reagan stories were in fact biased. Did Ronald Reagan subvert the constitution, by going against congress and working out is own deal with Iran for the release of the hostages in order to ensure a win in the election? PBS used as its chief witnesses a self-confessed drug smuggler/ money launderer along with other illegitimate sources including Gunrunners. No hard proof was provided and very little in terms of fairness. Which was similar to their piece on Hoover. That story also used
Does PBS deserve the report of taxpayers? Certainly not in its present form. There appears to be serious flaws in the way PBS operates. Perhaps PBS could rework the system so that PBS has no incentive to attract viewers and are not rewarded for such accomplishments. Of course delving into that entire area any further would likely result in further inefficiencies. Perhaps the quality of programs will diminish greatly or any myriad of other unforeseen problems. Why not get rid of the entire thing and leave it to the far more efficient process of supply and demand, which private networks subscribe to. If there is ever a strong outcry for legitimate objective and professional journalism, someone can create a cable station. Or if Big Bird is really that important I'm sure he'll find a spot on television. With the plethora of television channels, the problem of space on the airwaves is no longer much of an issue.
IF PBS does not need ratings in order to survive, why were they so producing eye-catching shows with very little content? PBS was still run by ordinary men who wanted to produce television shows that were on a par with network shows. They also were interested in receiving more money from congress to produce more shows. The result was news stories that made
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