John Sexton, a writer for Hot Air, recently penned an opinion editorial discussing the potential defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Sexton, who grew up watching shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, reminisces about the limited television options of his youth, and the comedic relief provided by the clumsy baker character. However, he also recalls the left-leaning bias of National Public Radio (NPR) during the Clinton years, which he describes as a "home turf" for liberals.
Sexton notes that calls to defund the CPB have been made for years, but have never come to fruition. He argues that conservatives are not against the children's programming, such as Big Bird, but rather the perceived news bias in adult programming. He criticizes the portrayal of conservatives as anti-Big Bird, calling it a typical tactic of the CPB.
With the second term of Donald Trump and Elon Musk's influence, Sexton suggests that defunding the CPB could become a reality. He cites a New York Times article that frames the situation as "Elon vs. Elmo," referring to Musk's proposed cuts to the federal government, including the elimination of entire departments and agency leaders. One of Musk's most concrete proposals is to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in annual funding that the government provides to PBS and NPR stations.
Sexton reports that NPR and PBS stations are preparing for a potential funding battle. He cites a circulated report among leaders of NPR's biggest member stations that warns against assuming that events will play out as they have in the past regarding their federal funding. He also mentions that PBS received an update on the situation from political consultants at a board meeting in early December.
Sexton predicts that characters like Elmo and Big Bird will soon be used in a campaign against Musk, a tactic he says PBS has used since at least the Nixon administration. He references Fred Rogers' defense of public media during an attempt to cut funding for the CPB during the Nixon era.
However, Sexton questions whether this strategy will work against Musk, who he describes as already being the target of numerous left-wing attacks. He suggests that Musk is less likely to fold under pressure, and warns against underestimating the left's potential for personal attacks on Musk in the coming year.
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