In the 1990's, Big Bird, Kermit and all their friends saved Bill Moyers, Frontline and the rest of public broadcasting from Republican budget cuts. But charges of liberal bias never went away. Last year, NPR's news analyst Juan Williams told Fox News he was "nervous" flying with passengers wearing "Muslim garb." When NPR fired him, Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans saw evidence of "a left-wing network." Since January, six bills have been introduced to defund public broadcasting once and for all. This week, Congress will vote on a measure that would withhold the remaining amount of the budget for this year. We hear from their critics and their supporters.
Public Broadcasting on the Firing Line Once Again
Credits
Guests:
- Paul Farhi - Media Reporter for the Washington Post
- Laura Walker - President, New York Public Radio
- Laurence Jarvik - author, 'PBS behind the Screen'
- James Rainey - Variety - @raineytime
- Adam Thierer - Senior Research Fellow, George Mason University's Mercatus Center