How should we pay for public broadcasting?

[Babbler]

There are several models for paying for public broadcasting. You can charge a television license fee on the right to receive signals (e.g. the BBC), have funding from the government (e.g. the CBC), have commercials (e.g. CBC television), and you just hold pledge drives (e.g. PBS). Of course, you could have no public television at all.

How do you think we fund public broadcasting?

 

[amadeus]

No public TV. We've got hundreds of channels covering nearly every subject, and public TV's fare of opera and other high art is really just another subsidy to the rich.

 

[Bill3000]

No public TV. We've got hundreds of channels covering nearly every subject, and public TV's fare of opera and other high art is really just another subsidy to the rich.

I don't really see how pledge drives are subsidies...?

 

[Cutlass]

Government Grants, Commercials, & Pledge Drives. Public broadcasting is too important to let it die. Especially now that special interests own and operate nearly all of the "main stream media".

 

[amadeus]

I don't really see how pledge drives are subsidies...?

I'm talking about the some $400 million that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is allocated by the U.S. Congress.

 

[Simple Simon]

how to pay?


NOT!

My experience of public TV is that as soon as hurdles fall and commercial enterprises may offer TV, that market's public TV goes to apefeces. In essence, they will attempt to emulate commercial TV, but without the required level of competence.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Licence Fee. I just like the BBC really.

 

[cardgame]

none
public television sucks...

 

[Bill3000]

none
public television sucks...

If you funded it properly, it wouldn't suck so much

 

[Formaldehyde]

No public TV. We've got hundreds of channels covering nearly every subject, and public TV's fare of opera and other high art is really just another subsidy to the rich.

Because everybody knows the only people who benefit from public TV are the rich... Or is that a code word for liberal?

 

[Simple Simon]

If you funded it properly, it wouldn't suck so much

lemme tell ya': it is well-funded in Germany, and it still sucks. 'cause certain people wanna be the mega-televisionaries. And loatht he fact that they can't earn what they could if they's be good enough for commerically run channels.

 

[Cutlass]

I'm talking about the some $400 million that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is allocated by the U.S. Congress.

Cheap at 100 times the price

 

[Bill3000]

I'm talking about the some $400 million that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is allocated by the U.S. Congress.

So that's like $1.3 a year. Pretty cheap compared to cable!

 

[DNK]

No public TV. We've got hundreds of channels covering nearly every subject, and public TV's fare of opera and other high art is really just another subsidy to the rich.

Stats plz.

I forgot you have to be rich to enjoy the fine arts.

I also forgot that PBS only shows the fine arts. Must have missed that watching Frontline, NOVA, Moyers, local news, POV, BBC World, Nature, NewsHour, American Experience, The (Civil) War, Clifford, Sesame St, Curious George, Arthur, Thomas and Friends, Nightly Business Report, Charlie Rose...

 

[Gooblah]

Licensing, I guess.

I love BBC, CBC for non-American coverage of Olympic sports (i.e a focus on other teams), and PBS if I have my cousins over and they need to get out of my hair.

 

[DNK]

So that's like $1.3 a year. Pretty cheap compared to cable!

$1.3 for a high quality, independent news and education source is too much. How much is the NYT again? $1.50 a paper?! Ridiculous, just subsidizing the rich Manhattan elite buying that...

I'd rather pay $600 a year for FOX, CNN, and MSNBC. So worth the money. Not subsidizing any rich people there, no...

 

[Dachs]

lemme tell ya': it is well-funded in Germany, and it still sucks. 'cause certain people wanna be the mega-televisionaries. And loatht he fact that they can't earn what they could if they's be good enough for commerically run channels.

Are you talking about public access television or public broadcasting?

 

[Simple Simon]

Are you talking about public access television or public broadcasting?

is there a difference in Germany?



yeah, I know, ARTE can be pretty good, but I grudge ever percent of a Cent I have to pay for 'Um Himmels Willen'

but TBH; TV is not a necessity. News do not grow stale and give you food poisioning when they come in printed form 18 hours after things happen, you know? Education is not poisonous when it comes in the form of ink on paper. And an opera can't get better by restricting the performance to a 40' screen. Nor, btw, a soccer match.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

lemme tell ya': it is well-funded in Germany, and it still sucks. 'cause certain people wanna be the mega-televisionaries. And loatht he fact that they can't earn what they could if they's be good enough for commerically run channels.

You realize that public television is the only possibilty to gain political information on TV in Germany? Because in that department the private channels really suck.
You realize that investigative journalism combined with TV appeares almost only on the public channels?
You realize that the so called "infotainement" of German private channels is nothing but a very bad joke?

Sorry but you do not seem to have clue what you are talking about.

In essence, they will attempt to emulate commercial TV, but without the required level of competence.

Alright, I correct "no clue" to "little clue" as this is partially correct.
It is pure nonesense indeed, that German public channels have to entertaine. Watching TV for entertainement has no value whatsoever which were in need of public funding. A fee for soaps is ridiculous.

I hope someday somebody smart and important realizes that.

 

[Formaldehyde]

$1.3 for a high quality, independent news and education source is too much. How much is the NYT again? $1.50 a paper?! Ridiculous, just subsidizing the rich Manhattan elite buying that...

Not to mention the pure joy of having at least one non-pay channel which has no commercials...