roundtable: Re: TCI buying MacNeil-Lehrer

roundtable: Re: TCI buying MacNeil/Lehrer

Re: TCI buying MacNeil/Lehrer

Terry Dugas 813-598-9737 (DUGAST@mail.firn.edu)
Tue, 3 Jan 1995 22:59:54 EST 

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 22:59:54 EST
From: Terry Dugas 813-598-9737 <DUGAST@mail.firn.edu>
Subject: Re: TCI buying MacNeil/Lehrer
In-Reply-To: <9501030858.AA06931@athena.capital.edu>
To: "roundtable@cni.org" <roundtable@cni.org>
Message-Id: <E1638ZVOJXE7M0*/R=FIRNVX/R=A1/U=DUGAST/@MHS>


*****
> Well put re PBS only putting on editor of "Progressive " mag after
> protests. It is a simple matter to look who the invited experts,
> journalists, and pundits are on McNeil-Lehrer, and what people and
> opinions are never heard, which is the most effective, persistent,
> invisible form of censorship.
> 
>      Why are we to rely uncritically on the integrity of the
> newsgathering organization. McNeil and Lehrer and their guests are
> mostly intelligent and professional, but this says nothing about the
> corporate bias in the treatment of any issue in which corporations
> have an interest (this in reply to the gentleman from S. Florida
> public TV).
> 
> Jeff Briggs
> jbriggs2capital.edu
*****

Bias is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. 

Feminist groups have charged both M/L and Sesame Street with bias.  One 
because of the lack of female experts, the other because of the lack of 
female muppets.

Conservatives charge M/L with bias because of C. Hunter-Gault (due more 
to her work on "Human Rights Television" than her work on M/L.)

Labor charges PBS with bias because they accept money from corporations.

Corporations charge PBS with bias because of reports on Frontline and 
other programs.

Conservative special interest groups charge PBS with bias because PBS 
will not accept special interest programs paid for by those groups.

Liberal special interest groups charge PBS with bias because PBS will 
not accept special interest programs paid for by THOSE groups.

Creationists charge PBS with bias because of NOVA and science series.

Business groups charge PBS with bias because of Nature and similar 
shows.

Jews charge PBS with bias for airing "pro-Arab" shows on Frontline.

Arabs charge PBS with bias for airing "anti-Arab" shows.

For 12 years, Republicans charged PBS with bias for Mark Russell 
specials.

For the past two years, Democrats have charged PBS with bias for Mark 
Russell specials.

Fundamentalists charge PBS with bias for not airing shows about 
fundamentalism.  Then charge PBS with bias after PBS aired a three part 
series on fundamentalism.

Since everybody on both sides of every issue thinks PBS is biased, does 
that mean it's balanced? :-)

So it goes.

Terry Dugas
Southwest Florida Public Television
DUGAST@MAIL.FIRN.EDU
"Balance? We don' need no stinkin' balance!"
 - Unidentified PBS terrorist bandito (Extra points for correctly 
   identifying the allusion."

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