PBS CEO Discusses Funding Cuts and Future Media Landscape

Resources

Books

• "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville - Mentioned as a foundational text for understanding American volunteerism and public-private partnerships, which influenced the creation of public media.

Videos & Documentaries

• "The American Revolution" by Ken Burns - A 12-hour series broadcast and streamed by PBS, noted for its visual storytelling and its role in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
• "Southern Storytellers" - A series produced by a PBS station in Arkansas, highlighting the artistic history of the South, including songwriters, novelists, poets, and screenwriters.
• "Carl the Collector" - A PBS series featuring an autistic protagonist, praised for its positive impact on families seeking relatable content for their children.
• "Phoebe and Jay" - An upcoming PBS series where the main characters live in low-income housing, aiming to portray aspects of life not often seen in media.
• "Weather Hunters" - A series with Al Roker that premiered in the fall, focusing on science for kids.
• "Cosmos" - Mentioned as a foundational science series that PBS has roots in, highlighting the importance of informing the public about science.
• "Nova" - A long-running PBS science series.
• "Nature" - A long-running PBS nature series.
• "Frontline" - A PBS investigative journalism series, highlighted as one of the most important due to its unflinching focus on significant issues.
• "Sesame Street" - A pioneering educational children's program that received funding from the Department of Education and helped establish PBS's early childhood work.
• "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" - A newer PBS children's series, noted for its lasting educational impact based on longitudinal studies.

Research & Studies

• Longitudinal studies on children's learning from PBS programming - These studies have shown that children retain lessons learned from shows like Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood into their teenage years.

Tools & Software

• Odoo - An integrated business software platform mentioned as a way for businesses to manage various functions like CRM, accounting, inventory, and e-commerce.
• YouTube - Mentioned as a platform where PBS distributes content and where children spend a significant amount of time.
• YouTube TV - A platform with which PBS has a significant deal to make its content accessible to cord-cutters.

Articles & Papers

• "Executive Order on Federal Funding for Public Broadcasting" (Trump Administration) - An executive order that made it illegal for federal money to come into PBS or NPR, which PBS is currently suing against.

People Mentioned

• Alexis de Tocqueville - Author of "Democracy in America," whose ideas on volunteerism influenced public media.
• Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) - The president who conceived the idea of a public media system for the U.S., inspired by the BBC and tailored to American values.
• Bob Ross - An artist whose painting was auctioned for over a million dollars as part of a fundraising effort for public media stations.
• John Oliver - Comedian and host who participated in a fundraising auction, contributing to the public media bridge fund.
• Ken Burns - Documentary filmmaker whose series on the American Revolution was a major PBS production, noted for its extensive production time and streaming success.
• Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers) - Creator of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, who had the vision of television being educational as well as entertaining.
• Al Roker - Television personality who has a series called "Weather Hunters" that premiered on PBS.
• Carl Sagan - Astronomer and science communicator, mentioned in the context of PBS's legacy in science programming.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene - U.S. Representative whose hearing titled "Un-American Airwaves" scrutinized PBS and NPR leadership regarding funding and content.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Mentioned in a hypothetical scenario alongside Carl Sagan, in the context of current political discourse.

Organizations & Institutions

• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - The public television network discussed throughout the episode, facing funding challenges.
• NPR (National Public Radio) - Mentioned alongside PBS as having lost significant federal funding.
• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) - Used as a point of comparison for public media systems, serving as an inspiration for LBJ.
• Public Media Company - An organization helping to organize and run a bridge fund for public media stations at risk due to funding cuts.
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) - The umbrella group that distributes federal funding to public media, which has faced attempts at political influence.
• Homeland Security - An entity with which PBS collaborates on emergency preparedness content distributed via broadcast spectrum.
• Department of Education - Previously provided funding for PBS's early childhood work.
• Amazon - A business partner that helps fund PBS programming, particularly dramas, through co-productions.

Websites & Online Resources

• odoo.com - Website to try Odoo business software for free.
• espolontequila.com - Website for Espolón Tequila.
• newbalance.com - Website for New Balance running gear.
• libertymutual.com - Website for Liberty Mutual insurance.

Other Resources

• Bicentennial Minutes - Short segments broadcast in 1976 during the U.S. Bicentennial celebration, recalled as a significant media event.
• Broadcast Spectrum - Highlighted as a reliable medium for emergency preparedness content that doesn't fail during high demand.
• Fast Channels - A type of streaming channel launched by PBS to offer content.