George takes a swipe at Big Bird

[mousepod]

Originally Posted by mousepod on september 9 2005

Many years ago, when I lived in NYC, I switched party affiliation from Democrat to Libertarian. While I always vote on a person-by-person or issue-by-issue basis, I felt that it was a good way to show my disgust at the current 2-party system and also gave me the opportunity to help nominate someone other than a wacko into a third-party candidacy. I don't think I've ever voted Libertarian in any Presidential election yet, and sometimes I lament the fact that I've taken myself out of the Democratic Primary loop. I'm not sure what the answer is, but to paraphrase Dylan, it's blowin'.

I'm enjoying this conversation - but my biggest fear here is how being affilliated with a party forces me to support something I don't entirely believe in. Likewise, it suggests to others that my beliefs might be something other than they are.

When it comes to the Arts (with a capital "A"), I'm a radical supporter of free speech and down on government suppression (I'm not using the "c" word here). Do I think that cutting money to public television is a move toward truly reducing public spending? In face of the amazingly expensive war machine, I know that's ridiculous. However, I understand how the government's oversight would be less justified if public money was pulled - so it could be a boon on that front.

Darn it.

[Alex]

I don't see how cutting funds to the CPB prevents access to the channel other than saying that without pupblic funding nobody would pay to have the content produced.

Regardless of whether CPB is funding specific content, the channel still exists and is equally accessible. Whether the rest of commercial broadcasting is owned by one giant company or 2,173 smaller ones is irrelevant to public broadcasting having a place in which to broadcast (whether anybody is willing to spend the money to develop content for broadcast in that space is a different matter entirely and not one I think the government should really be involved in).

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Regardless of whether CPB is funding specific content, the channel still exists and is equally accessible.

But is it really? It seems to me that Rupert Murdock or the Walt Disney Corporation has more access than I do? How do I get my channel?

[Alex]

On the personal level, your ability to have an idea and get it distributed globally is greater now than it has ever been in history and this is fully independent of whether CPB gets funded.

Now, if you want to talk about distributing your idea over the specific channels of broadcast television or broadcast radio access to the channel is no different whether you have one megacorporation or hundreds of small ones. But government assurances of publicly accessible sections of the broadband does not happen through funding of CPB but through regulation by the FCC.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Now, if you want to talk about distributing your idea over the specific channels of broadcast television or broadcast radio access to the channel is no different whether you have one megacorporation or hundreds of small ones. But government assurances of publicly accessible sections of the broadband does not happen through funding of CPB but through regulation by the FCC.

Cool, so give me my channel, and I'll yield on CPB

[Alex]

I don't see what they have to do with each other. Nor do I see why you should be given a TV channel. You have the same access to one as everybody else.

[€uroMeinke]

Oh just as an aside, I believe anything publicly funded should be considered "work for hire" and placed into the public domain as far as copyright is concerned - but that's another issue

[mousepod]

Alex,
I'm with you almost all of the way. The one problem I have is that the same folks who run our government and do all sorts of fun grandstanding like the issue at hand are the same people who take money from lobbyists from Clear Channel and the RIAA and legislate against little upstarts who are trying to start their own "small radio stations". Go to the RIAA homepage and type 'podcast' into their search engine and tell me what you see. And don't even get me started on the FCC...

- MousePod (a registered Libertarian and EFF supporter)

[Alex]

Oh, I won't argue it is all wonderful. I just don't fall into the "since this incorrect thing is done, this other incorrect thing should be done as well."

You just end up with a briar patch of interlocked interests that can never be fixed because everybody is in love with there piece and will therefore protect the other pieces. Kind of like subsidizing the price of milk for the farmers and then subsidizing the purchase of milk by mothers.

There is a lot in the government I would dismantle or significantly alter, I'm just going to wait until it is all done at once or not at all.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

You just end up with a briar patch of interlocked interests that can never be fixed because everybody is in love with there piece and will therefore protect the other pieces. Kind of like subsidizing the price of milk for the farmers and then subsidizing the purchase of milk by mothers.

See, and that's where I'm coming from. There's nothing in it for me to support ending funding for the CPB. I mean what does it really work out to? I recall the NEA worked out to $0.65 a person once upon a time. I doubt I'll see the penny a week increase in my paycheck.

Sure government funding is a clusterfvck, but until I have personal incentive otherwise, I've no deisre to sacrifice my own special interests. Why should I?