Finally! NYT Outs PBS for its Right-Wing Bias

Yesterday, an article titled “Republican Chairman Exerts Pressure on PBS, Alleging Biases”, written by Stephen Labaton, Lorne Manly and Elizabeth Jensen appeared in the Arts/Television section of the New York Times. The Republican PBS Chairman cited is Kenneth Y. Tomlinson. Tomlinson has foisted his GOP right-wing policies on the American public by using neocon tactics. He's gotten a lot of mileage out of whinging that PBS had been allowed to incline too far to the left and that it needed to become more centrist, more fair, more balanced. Any PBS watcher knows that exactly the opposite is true. Fair and balanced, of course, means that under Tomlinson's guidance PBS has become more conservative, more right-of-center and an undisguised supporter of White House fascism. The NYT article reports that without the knowledge of his board of directors, Tomlinson went so far as to hire spies to track the political leanings of the “Now With Bill Moyers” show. And he promoted the airing of WSJ editor Paul Gigot's far-right-biased broadcasts. Any regular viewer of The Lehrer Report during the last year could see what was going on. Watching Gwen Ifill change from an outspoken reporter of the facts, to a GOP toady was embarrassing. The PBS switch from being a channel renowned for its integrity and focus on education, to becoming a tool for GOP blather and bias has been obvious and undisguised. But at the same time as the GOP has infiltrated the Public Broadcasting network with its cant and prejudice, another trend has also become transparently obvious. No one is watching PBS. PBS has to have a beg-a-thon every month just to keep its head above water. And the money from fund drives pays for salaries and huge monolithic monuments to themselves like the edifice in Philadelphia. The fund drive money is not used to underwrite new programs. The facts are that PBS has been faltering financially for years. And any business that must constantly beg for funds from its users should go belly up. Since PBS is a propaganda machine for White House fascism, there is no reason for thinking-Americans to support it. In fact, there is every reason for thinking-Americans to boycott PBS and to campaign long and loudly for its demise. PBS is an outlet for right wing Propaganda Bull Shit. So let's let it die. God knows, it's easy enough to boycott. There hasn't been anything worth watching since Bill Moyers went off the air.