Jon Taplin’s Blog

On the Radio

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1. I saw y0u on “The Drug Years” on Sundance an hour ago, you young-looking bastard.

   Dan

   December 14, 2008 at 9:25 am

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2. Talking about Broadband but still thinking that folks have to be in LA to listen huh?

   http://www.kpfk.org/listen-live.html

   rhumbamusicandpost

   December 14, 2008 at 11:18 am

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3. Jon, thanks for the heads up. Good thing, this Internet
   and iTunes. North Dakota would be totally unbearable
   without it.

   On the issue of funding for public broadcasting, I couldn’t
   agree more. In fact, just the evening before I was thinking
   and writing the same sentiments. The PB relationship with
   corporate America (pharmaceuticals, oil companies) and even
   some departments within the federal government (DHS – ugh!)
   needs to be dissolved completely and all funding for
   CPB/PBS/NPR must come from tax funds allocated by Congress
   in sufficient amounts to allow for the kind of in-depth
   ingestigative reporting that is so lacking in the 24/7 cable
   and major network news outlets. In other words, what is
   required is a complete reversal of the successful efforts
   made by the Right that defunded PB, drove out the likes of
   Bill Moyers, left it groveling for funding through pledge
   drives, and effectively gutted the system to the extent
   that it hasn’t the capacity to do the kind of in-depth,
   timely, and uninfluenced investigative reporting required
   to keep government on the straight and narrow. It’s clear
   that the compromised MSM won’t do and given that NPR is
   now talking about cutbacks, it’s clear that the already
   strapped supporters of PB are unable to cough up more to
   make up the government funding shortfall. In short, the
   federal tax monies we’ve paid into the system are already
   there, but need to be effectively reallocated (much like
   the money to buy computers for children in India needs to
   be used to buy computers for the kids in South Central
   L.A.). The need is pressing as the effectiveness of an
   unbiased press to inform us is crucial to the survival
   of the democracy at this juncture. Like the intersection
   of medicine and profit motive, where the health care
   system compromised by the cancerous effects of the
   insurance industry is at the point of being on death’s
   doorstep, the commercial press’s self-serving interests
   are now preventing the patient’s access to information
   needed for recovery and long term health. Likewise, I
   can’t buy PB’s claim that private industry funding of
   PB has no influence on the decisions made to pursue
   certain stories, or the levels to which investigations
   are conducted, especially when newsworthy stories involve
   those industries.

   With all of the other catastrophes on Obama’s plate,
   I doubt public broadcasting will be high on his list
   for significantly increased funding. As I believe that there’s
   still a great hunger for a viable alternative to sound-byte,
   ratings-driven broadcast news, I hope I’m wrong about the
   attention that the new Administration will give public broadcasting.

   Jeffwi

   December 14, 2008 at 7:49 pm

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4. Speaking of Bill Moyers, did you see this Friday night- Glenn Greenwald and Emma Coleman Jordan on Bill Moyers Journal?

   http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

   T Bone Burnett

   December 15, 2008 at 12:27 am

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