The Fix for Snuffy
Ken Tomlinson, chairman for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (the umbrella organization of PBS and NPR) doesn't like what he sees or hears on these two networks. And to gather evidence of the liberal bias of PBS (and Bill Moyers' news magazine show, NOW, in particular), it seems he hired someone to watch the NOW program and document the bias that it undoubtedly had (without telling the other CPB board members). Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) asked for these review notes and, believe it or not, received them (Tomlinson's obviously not getting on board with the BushCo secrecy protocols, which prevents any requested document from ever being distributed). The NYTimes has details:

In a little-noticed speech on the floor of the Senate this week, Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, said that in response to his request for the reports on the "Now" program, Mr. Tomlinson provided him with the raw data from reports. Mr. Dorgan said that Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska, was classified in the data as a "liberal" for an appearance on a segment of a show that questioned the Bush Administration's policies in Iraq. Mr. Hagel is considered a mainstream conservative with a maverick streak and a willingness to criticize the White House. Another segment about financial waste at the Pentagon was classified as "anti-Defense," Mr. Dorgan said. He criticized Mr. Tomlinson for spending taxpayer money for studies to examine programs "to see if something is being said that might be critical about a president or Congress."

And that's what it really comes down to. It's not about bias toward one side of the political spectrum or the other--it's about squelching any opinion or journalistic investigation that goes against the opinion of the BushCo regime. And since it's a little tougher to do with an independently held media company (though with the right crack in the facade, anything can happen--just look at the Newsweek/torture issue debacle), they're going after the low-hanging fruit of PBS/NPR. Which, I might add, are two of the most balanced media outlets in this nation. So what's the next step? Take away the money:

The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill on Thursday that would slash spending for public television and radio nearly in half. Broadcasting executives say the action reflects the political bind in which public broadcasting now finds itself. Some traditional supporters are turning lukewarm in the growing belief that conservative Republicans are taking over the system, while traditional critics are mounting another campaign to reduce taxpayer support for the programs. By voice vote, the committee approved a measure, approved by a subcommittee last week, that would reduce the financing of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the organization that directs taxpayer dollars to public television and radio, by 25 percent, to $300 million from $400 million. The measure would also eliminate $39 million that stations say they need to convert to digital programming, $50 million for upgrading the aging satellite technology that is the backbone of the PBS network and the $23 million "Ready to Learn" program supervised by the Education Department. That program provides some money for producing children's shows, including "Sesame Street," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Between the Lions" and "Dragon Tales."

An NYTimes editorial details the pain these "spiteful" cuts would cause:

A decade ago, Newt Gingrich tried a similar stratagem to "zero out" public broadcasting as Republicans claimed there was liberal bias in programming. The attempt failed in the face of cooler legislative heads and the proven indispensability of public broadcasting. This time, the Republicans' campaign is more threatening since it amounts to a second front in the culture war agenda identified with Kenneth Tomlinson, the Republican who is now chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Mr. Tomlinson is intent on ramming partisan "balance" on the airwaves - read that as dragging public broadcasting over to the right - by stocking the corporation with G.O.P. loyalists. In the next few weeks, the corporation's Republican-dominated board is expected to choose a former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee as president of the corporation. Mr. Tomlinson has said he is concerned about the cuts and will "make the case" for federal support. But he is in an awkward position, with his own objectivity more in question than Big Bird's or Buster's. Federal money amounts to 15 percent of public broadcasting's budget revenues, but it plays a larger and particularly crucial role for smaller rural stations. More than government support, the public's faith and donations could be threatened if audiences sense the Republicans are succeeding with an ideological putsch. Republican lawmakers insist that the budget cuts are only one of many sacrifices required for fiscal discipline - a truly laughable contention from a Congress that has broken all records for deficit spending and borrowing. The pending highway bill alone has 3,800 pet projects (cue Porky Pig, not Oscar the Grouch). These include $2 billion-plus for two ludicrous "bridges to nowhere" in rural Alaska, where, incidentally, station officials say public broadcasting may fade from the air unless the Senate blocks the House's spiteful cuts.