Money For Nothing And Liberal Propaganda For Free—Defund NPR And PBS, Nirvanize The Taxpayer

At Wednesday's hearings on Capitol Hill, GOP members grilled leaders of National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS television stations about programming content carried on their networks.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican, played to her fanbase by charging that both outlets act as "radical left-wing echo chambers." Addressing Katherine Maher, the chief executive of NPR; Paula Kerger, C.E.O. of PBS; Michael Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation; and Ed Ulman, chief of Alaska Public Media, during a hearing titled "Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable," Greene said: "NPR and PBS have become radical left-wing echo chambers using taxpayer funds to push some of the most radical left positions, catering to a narrow audience of mostly wealthy, white, urban liberals and progressives who generally look down on and judge rural America."

Most Americans aren't particularly concerned about the programming on NPR and PBS. If, as Greene says, 'PBS puts a drag queen on a children's show, 'Let's Learn'—it's sexualizing and grooming children'—we are appalled by it all if it is true. But advocates of a free press don't believe in censoring content. MTV, VH1, E!, and other channels that purport to advance children's development went off the rails of old-style American decency over 25 years ago with content that skirts propriety—through reality TV excess, crude comedy, or sexually charged narratives. Still, we don't want government agencies to go after them. It's a free country.

However, Greene's point, which most Americans wholeheartedly agree with, is that the taxpayer has no business funding NPR and PBS. It is not only a matter of libertarian principles that the government shouldn't be funding any news organization, but the justification for public funding is no longer relevant in today's media landscape.

A May 2024 DailyMail.com/TIPP Poll shows that voters, by a wide margin, favor stripping National Public Radio (NPR) of its taxpayer funding over concerns about political bias.

Fully 44 percent of respondents said NPR should lose its government support due to its perceived leanings, while 26 percent said funding should continue. Another 31 percent were unsure.

Respondents by a wide margin no longer want to the foot the bill for NPR's 'biased' coverage

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, officially began on October 5, 1970, following the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967—signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The goal was to provide ad-free educational and cultural programming when the primary entertainment device in homes was a television set in the corner of a living room receiving a signal through a rabbit-ear antenna mounted on the roof. Most homes received the major commercial networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS, which were all ad-supported. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exercised programming control over these networks (adult programming permitted only after 10 PM) in return for providing them with licenses to the broadcast spectrum.

True enough, PBS became a mainstay station in most homes, and LBJ's plan had worked. Parents could turn their TVs on and let their children watch endless hours of programming, especially on weekends, as they tended to chores around the home without interruption. Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster (Sesame Street), Arthur Read, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and The Magic School Bus helped shape the development of millions of children for decades. Even as America embraced the cable TV revolution, PBS always had a channel number close to the big commercial networks. PBS became a free babysitter paid for by the taxpayer.

Today's media landscape is vastly different, and even a staunch liberal like LBJ would be against funding a public broadcasting service. Children lean heavily on mobile devices and streaming, with TV as a secondary player and audio carving a niche. Consoles bridge gaming and viewing in an on-demand world—far from the days of waiting for Saturday morning cartoons.

Not only are the devices different, but the intensity of engagement has dramatically changed for the worse. A 2023 Common Sense Media report (updated with 2024 data) found that 8 to 12-year-olds spend an average of 5.5 hours daily on screens, with mobile devices leading the way—far more than all the PBS children's programs aired in a week. For kids under 8, it's about 2.5 hours, with tablets like iPads being hugely popular due to their touch interfaces and portability. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram dominate programming.

While traditional TV still holds ground for children under 8 years old —think PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, and Disney Channel—smart TVs and devices like Roku or Amazon Fire Stick blur the line, as kids stream via Netflix (43% of kids' viewing time), Disney+ (30%), or Hulu. A 2024 ESA report found that 70% of kids play video games, often doubling as content platforms (e.g., watching Netflix on Switch). Titles like Super Mario or Fortnite mix play with social interaction.

Traditional radio is fading for children and has been replaced by audio content via podcasts and smart speakers. A 2024 Edison Research study showed that 29% of kids 6-12 listen to podcasts monthly—think Wow in the World (science) or Story Pirates (stories). Amazon Echo or Google Nest devices play music (Spotify, Pandora) or audiobooks for 35% of kids under 8, per Common Sense.

If PBS wants to thrive in such a rapidly changing ecosystem, we wish it nothing but the best. However, it should stop expecting taxpayers to foot its bills. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports both PBS and NPR, received a federal appropriation of $535 million for fiscal year 2025. While supporters argue that this amount is a drop in the bucket - approximately 0.008% of the $6.75 trillion federal budget from fiscal year 2024 - the more significant point is philosophical.

When America is $36 trillion in debt, why should taxpayers fund anything at CPB? In a media environment where every player struggles to survive, merging, divesting, and lowering costs, why should PBS alone be exempt? Local stations, which pay PBS for access to its programming and collect membership fees through funding drives, reimburse PBS to the tune of $300 million. Many diehard listeners and viewers will gladly contribute the difference if CPB funding is eliminated. Or PBS could increase its licensing fees for established programs like Sesame Street. Or PBS could begin carrying ads.

We want PBS and NPR to thrive—but not on the taxpayer’s dime.

Rajkamal Rao is a columnist and a member of the tippinsights editorial board. He is an American entrepreneur and wrote the WorldView column for the Hindu BusinessLine, India's second-largest financial newspaper, on the economy, politics, immigration, foreign affairs, and sports.

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