Privatized PBS?

Nicole

So, I was reading this article from 1995, where for a brief time news organizations believed that "Baby Bell" Bell Atlantic Corp. would take over the US government's role in public broadcasting, and/or buy stations in Bell Atlantic's service area (note that this is before the Bell Atlantic-NYNEX merger, so the service area is PA, DE, MD, DC, and VA) The article also mentions proposals from companies like Discovery Communications.

What if Bell Atlantic, or another private company, had been more serious about the proposal? Is there really any chance of something like that going through?
 

proximefactum

Imajin said:
So, I was reading this article from 1995, where for a brief time news organizations believed that "Baby Bell" Bell Atlantic Corp. would take over the US government's role in public broadcasting, and/or buy stations in Bell Atlantic's service area (note that this is before the Bell Atlantic-NYNEX merger, so the service area is PA, DE, MD, DC, and VA) The article also mentions proposals from companies like Discovery Communications.

What if Bell Atlantic, or another private company, had been more serious about the proposal? Is there really any chance of something like that going through?
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Yes, I think it is quite likely that at one point or another PBS will be privatized or else terminated. This will probably happen under a Republican administration, as many in the GOP would rather destroy PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts, for example. Already PBS has gone through severe government aid reductions. Hence, the proliferation of barely veiled TV commercials (all but product not shown) and the endless fund drives that appear after nearly every show.

With the wide range of cable/satellite TV networks these days, the need for a liberal counterweight on network television is somewhat limited. I doubt many Americans would even notice if PBS decided to close shop or privatize. PBS used to be a more "highbrow" programming alternative to the big three networks, but the broad programming selection on subscription TV renders the channel a bit irrelevant.

If PBS were bought out by a private entity, expect "normal" commercials and a whole range of programming not usually associated with the Service. A "for-profit" motive would likely reduce or eliminate unique and venerable programming on PBS, like Sesame Street or News Hour. So from one angle PBS is a cultural relic rendered redundant by the satellite age. From another angle PBS preserves certain unique shows that cater to niche markets (i.e. those who like to watch reruns of old British sitcoms.) Either way, I think PBS is an endangered species, privatization or not.
 

MarkWhittington

Actually shows like Sesame Street would thrive under a "private" PBS. Sesame Street actually makes money, mainly through marketing of toys and other products.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
In well-to-do cities with high education rates, I doubt the PBS stations (and NPR radio stations, for that matter) would shut down without government assistance. Private donors would pick up the slack, and the vast majority of funding for individual stations comes from private donations anyway.

In my town of Austin, I know that there would be riots in the streets without PBS and NPR. But then, we're a bunch of goofy liberals with too much money and too many degrees. What the fate of a private PBS station in a shrinking Rust Belt city would be, I have no idea.
 

Mark E.

Even here in the rural Midwest, the local PBS station has multiplexed its signal to three programs, thanks to the digital mandate and the absence of HD on most of the network's fare. It's not going away soon.
 
Workable Goblin

Workable Goblin

I know our local PBS affiliate was actually founded before PBS was (it was, in fact, the first public television station in the country). It's also operated by the University of Houston, so I would assume it also has some educational value. I seriously doubt it would shut down if PBS went under.

And Sesame Street has got to be one of the most valuable brands in television today. I mean, look at all the toys and stuff they sell. Now, a private owner would probably dilute the brand over time, but they certainly wouldn't shut it down anytime soon.
 

the_lyniezian

Banned
Well Sesame Street has certainly been going a long time- I remember it as a kid when they still showed it on Channel 4- as it whent on it seemed like the same old repeats probably from the '80s. They don't show it now over here, so I've no idea what it's turned into.

I guess there is always the Jim Henson/Muppets connection though, so the marketing may be partly linked in to that... but agian, a show that sucessful is not so easily cancelled.

Based on the present experiences of here,educational programming in general seems to have been sidelined a bit since commecial pressures have taken over, even on Channel 4 which is supposed to be independent public service TV. Believe it or not, the ITV network was once the sole commercial TV service, and was expected to provide a range of programming in keeping with a public service, often with no advertising in between in the case of educational programmes. As time wore on and the ITV Schools progrmmes went to Channel 4, advertising crept in. ITV is now separate from Channel 4, and provides less and less "public service" stuff in general as increased compitition and laxer regulations have taken effect. This could well be the pattern for your privatised PBS scenario in the States.
 

Nicole

the_lyniezian said:
Based on the present experiences of here,educational programming in general seems to have been sidelined a bit since commecial pressures have taken over, even on Channel 4 which is supposed to be independent public service TV. Believe it or not, the ITV network was once the sole commercial TV service, and was expected to provide a range of programming in keeping with a public service, often with no advertising in between in the case of educational programmes. As time wore on and the ITV Schools progrmmes went to Channel 4, advertising crept in. ITV is now separate from Channel 4, and provides less and less "public service" stuff in general as increased compitition and laxer regulations have taken effect. This could well be the pattern for your privatised PBS scenario in the States.
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Interestingly, in more recent times the FCC here has required broadcast channels (even shop-at-home channels) to set aside a certain amount of time for "E/I" (Educational / Informative, IIRC) programming that must be children-oriented...

The thing about PBS is that a lot of the programming is produced by the independent stations (IIRC PBS owns no stations, but they are all nonprofits)- for example, NOVA and Arthur were produced by WGBH Boston. (Though I think they do receive funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, more comes from donations IIRC) Which I suppose is why Bell Atlantic talked about buying stations as well... but they can't buy them all, so the nonprofits will still have influence through station ownership and production.
 
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