Joined
·
2 Posts
A previous entry, "Analogous to PBS' Palin Poll," posted by jmichna says: "PBS, the most liberal network in America (funded, incidentally, by your tax dollars) is running a poll concerning Sarah Palin. Their question is: Do you think Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States?"
The so-called "PBS Palin Poll" is not intended to be a scientific poll and is not being conducted by PBS. It consists of self-selected responses posted on the "PBS NOW" Website. "PBS NOW" is a weekly 30-min. public-affairs program primarily produced by WNET-TV New York, and distributed by a PBS program service to all or nearly all of the 356 local PBS stations, one of which is WNET. The program has a standard disclaimer which makes it clear that WNET (and not PBS) is solely responsible for its content (including the content of its Website).
Whether PBS is "the most liberal network in America" is a subjective allegation and not an established fact. To validate that allegation one would have to clearly define what "liberal" versus "conservative" program content is, conduct a scientifically rigorous content analysis of PBS and all other American broadcast-network programming, publish the findings of the analysis, and subject them to independent public scrutiny. Such a competent, objective analysis has never been conducted and published. Therefore, jmichna is merely expressing a common but unproven opinion.
PBS and its non-profit, locally owned and managed stations are only partially funded by "tax dollars." Most of that funding, which varies from station to station, comes from individual members, foundations, businesses, and other private sources. Among the major industrialized nations, America ranks dead last in government support of public broadcasting. And its citizens are poorly served by the overall quality of commercial broadcasting.
Moreover, virtually all of America's radio and TV stations--whether they're licensed as for-profit or non-profit entities--receive direct and/or indirect subsidies from federal, state and in some cases local government. With few if any exceptions, for-profit (commercial) stations and their networks receive much greater government subsidies than non-profit (public) stations and their networks. So jmichna is merely parroting funding nonsense by only ascribing "tax dollars" to public broadcasting.
The ultimate test of a media entity is how it influences the behavior of people who use it; jmichna's behavior, as reflected in that "PBS Palin Poll" message, is another sad case in point.
RLD (A private media researcher and retired, longtime staffer at a major-market PBS station, speaking only for myself.)
The so-called "PBS Palin Poll" is not intended to be a scientific poll and is not being conducted by PBS. It consists of self-selected responses posted on the "PBS NOW" Website. "PBS NOW" is a weekly 30-min. public-affairs program primarily produced by WNET-TV New York, and distributed by a PBS program service to all or nearly all of the 356 local PBS stations, one of which is WNET. The program has a standard disclaimer which makes it clear that WNET (and not PBS) is solely responsible for its content (including the content of its Website).
Whether PBS is "the most liberal network in America" is a subjective allegation and not an established fact. To validate that allegation one would have to clearly define what "liberal" versus "conservative" program content is, conduct a scientifically rigorous content analysis of PBS and all other American broadcast-network programming, publish the findings of the analysis, and subject them to independent public scrutiny. Such a competent, objective analysis has never been conducted and published. Therefore, jmichna is merely expressing a common but unproven opinion.
PBS and its non-profit, locally owned and managed stations are only partially funded by "tax dollars." Most of that funding, which varies from station to station, comes from individual members, foundations, businesses, and other private sources. Among the major industrialized nations, America ranks dead last in government support of public broadcasting. And its citizens are poorly served by the overall quality of commercial broadcasting.
Moreover, virtually all of America's radio and TV stations--whether they're licensed as for-profit or non-profit entities--receive direct and/or indirect subsidies from federal, state and in some cases local government. With few if any exceptions, for-profit (commercial) stations and their networks receive much greater government subsidies than non-profit (public) stations and their networks. So jmichna is merely parroting funding nonsense by only ascribing "tax dollars" to public broadcasting.
The ultimate test of a media entity is how it influences the behavior of people who use it; jmichna's behavior, as reflected in that "PBS Palin Poll" message, is another sad case in point.
RLD (A private media researcher and retired, longtime staffer at a major-market PBS station, speaking only for myself.)
