Playbill: In August, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting shut down, after the Trump Administration pulled $1.1 billion in funding for the organization—funds that usually go to funding NPR and PBS. As a result, PBS has slashed its budget and laid off staff, and numerous local public radio and television stations (many in rural communities) have been forced to close.
2 comments:
I really hope that the Public Broadcasting Service and their Great Performances series are able to overcome the financial hardship they are in right now due to the pulling of their government funding–which was incredibly disheartening to see but not entirely unexpected. Over the summer I loved watching the production of Next to Normal, Yellowface, and more that they offered and wished that every show was able to get a professional recording of their production and also have it be accessible to the public for a month for free. I thought that the In the Park production of Twelfth Night looked absolutely incredible and I hope PBS and Great Performances are able to pull through and continue sharing art for those who were not able to witness it in real time. I will definitely try to tune in to watch this production as it looked like so much fun and had such an amazing line up of cast members.
I think that is a wonderful slogan. It is a nice surprise that PBS is still able to share these great performances with the public. Even with the cutbacks they are continuing to share shows that are beyond the reach whether in time or money to go see in a much more accommodating way than most streaming services do. With the subscription also counting as a tax-deductible donation it makes subscribing an affordable solution even if the customers cannot see the show in the thirty days from once it starts to air on their platform. The programs that are lost from this funding besides the great performances is a terrible loss and shame that a lot of people have lost, especially those that can't afford streaming services and cable television. I have personally benefitted from PBS’s shows, and I know many of my family members and friends have too. I plan on supporting them in any way I can so they can continue benefitting the public.
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