Essay: 6 ways public broadcasting will improve your life. And that’s a promise

Public media has faced challenges recently, particularly with the loss of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which was established by Congress in 1967. At the time it ceased operations, the CPB provided financial support to 365 public TV stations and 1,216 radio stations. (The executive order that ended this funding was titled, unsurprisingly, “Ending Taxpayer Support of Biased Media.”) It’s important to remember that the CPB didn’t create content itself; instead, independent stations produced or obtained programs from sources like NPR, PBS, and other member stations, all without direct control. In the Los Angeles area, local public TV options include PBS SoCal (combining KOCE and KCET) and KLCS, while radio listeners can tune into KCRW, LAist (KPCC), KUSC, KCSN, and KJZZ, each offering unique programming and serving its own audience.

Beyond the government funding it receives – about $1.60 per taxpayer annually, which is a tiny fraction of the federal budget – NPR and PBS rely on support from grants, donations, and corporate sponsors, as well as contributions from listeners and viewers. If you aren’t already a supporter, now is a great time to consider donating to NPR, PBS, or your local station or favorite program. Producing high-quality content takes resources!

Here are six big reasons, encompassing dozens of little reasons.

Value for money

Public television and radio are meant to be a service for everyone, broadcasting free over the air and online, with even more content like videos and podcasts available. For a tax-deductible $5 a month to PBS, you get “PBS Passport,” which unlocks a huge library of shows – both new and classic – from various producers and states, covering everything from news and dramas to science, music, history, and practical skills like woodworking and gardening. They even have cooking shows featuring legendary chefs like Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. Honestly, if you can’t find something to enjoy here, you might need to explore new interests! Plus, your contribution helps keep public media and the talented people who create these programs going strong.

It’s local

As a critic, I’ve always seen public media as a vital, unique part of our media landscape, and it’s more important now than ever. Unlike national networks, these stations live within the communities they serve, and that’s reflected in the programming. A quick look at PBS Passport shows just how local it gets – everything from ‘Vermont Poetry’ to ‘Kansas Week,’ even ‘Curling Minnesota!’ It’s not just quirky stuff, though. Shows like ‘Press Play’ and ‘AirTalk’ on KCRW/LAist are genuinely local news and discussion, with hosts connecting directly to listeners. PBS SoCal is doing incredible work with series like ‘Lost L.A.’ – digging into the hidden histories of the city – and ‘Artbound,’ which explores the vibrant art scene. And thankfully, they still air episodes of ‘California’s Gold’ and ‘Visiting’ with the late, great Huell Howser. He was a true original, and his genuine curiosity and love for California still shines through. It’s a refreshing reminder that local stories still matter, and public media is where you find them.

It stands up for diversity

Public media exists, in part, to reach those often overlooked by mainstream channels, and it champions diversity, inclusion, and equality – all valuable principles. I believe that experiencing different cultures can help overcome prejudice, and that seeing themselves reflected on screen is important for people from those cultures. Programs like PBS’s “Independent Lens” and “P.O.V.” offer unique perspectives and stories you won’t find elsewhere on television. “The Migrant Kitchen” highlights the diverse food traditions and the immigrants who bring them to life. PBS Kids’ cartoons also prioritize representation, with shows like “Molly of Denali” featuring a Native Alaskan girl, “Rosie’s Rules” centering a Mexican American child, “Alma’s Way” showcasing a Puerto Rican girl, and “Lyla in the Loop” starring a Jamaican American heroine. And, of course, “Sesame Street” remains a wonderful example of a diverse urban community.

You might — no, will — learn something

Public broadcasting offers a wealth of knowledge and insight, acting like a free university. Programs like “American Masters,” with recent features on figures like Hazel Scott and Hannah Arendt, and “American Experience,” covering topics from the Americans with Disabilities Act to Henry Kissinger, provide a comprehensive education in American culture. The extensive work of Ken Burns, available through PBS Passport – including documentaries like “The Civil War,” “Baseball,” and “The Vietnam War” – further expands this learning opportunity. For science enthusiasts, “Nova” offers in-depth explorations, such as a documentary on the International Space Station and the growing threat of superfloods. “Nature” showcases the wonders of the natural world, while Terry Gross’s “Fresh Air” on the radio provides insightful interviews with influential people. Together, these programs help create informed and well-rounded citizens.

News you can use that doesn’t use you

It’s easy to debate whether media outlets are balanced, but many who claim NPR and PBS lean left probably don’t regularly watch or listen to them. While everyone has opinions on news coverage, you’d be hard-pressed to find news and current affairs programs on traditional TV or online that are as well-informed, fair, skilled, and ethical. NPR and PBS feature discussions with a variety of perspectives, not just talking heads pushing specific agendas or catering to political interests. For example, PBS’s “Frontline” aired an in-depth report on a controversial topic even when another network pulled its own story on the same subject.

Finally, it’s fun

Public radio and television offer much more than just educational content. Entertainment has always been a vital part of these stations’ programming and a key source of funding. Shows like the comedy quiz “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” and storytelling programs “This American Life” and “The Moth Radio Hour” are consistently popular choices. Public television has historically been the main way Americans have accessed British shows, and it continues to be a major platform for them. In fact, a station in Dallas first brought “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” to the US, thanks to programming director Ron Devillier at KERA-TV. Through the “Masterpiece” series, viewers have enjoyed a wide range of British dramas, mysteries, and adaptations of classic books. Recent highlights include “Patience,” featuring an autistic actor in the lead role, and “The Great Escaper,” the final performance by Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson. Long-running favorites like “Call the Midwife” (now in its 14th season) and “All Creatures Great and Small” (in its 6th season) continue to attract dedicated fans, and the hugely successful “Downton Abbey” first aired through “Masterpiece.”

Public media celebrates the arts, higher and humble — “Craft in America,” highlighting workers in many mediums, from many places, is a personal favorite. An invaluable service in a time when the president targets museums (and national parks, and zoos) over “improper ideology” and has slapped his own name on Washington, D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The PBS series “Great Performances” fulfills an early, generally unkept, promise of the medium to bring the arts into every home, with opera, ballet and theater. This year brought Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” with Lupita Nyong’o and her brother Junior as twins, along with Sandra Oh, Peter Dinklage and Jesse Tyler Ferguson; a new “Nutcracker” from the English National Ballet, and a documentary on pioneering Black opera singer Grace Bumbry. Listener-sponsored radio is traditionally home for music that corporate stations don’t play (locally, KUSC = classical, KJZZ = jazz, while KCRW turns its microphone over to DJs in the morning and evenings, and KPFK keeps a spot warm for the Grateful Dead.) The PBS series “Austin City Limits” is a live showcase for all sorts of traditionally based American musics. On NPR’s YouTube-based series “Tiny Desk Concerts,” musicians set up in a corner of their offices and play unplugged for the staff; with guests ranging from Taylor Swift to Parliament-Funkadelic, Tame Impala to Silvana Estrada, it’s a place to discover new artists and rediscover older ones — as potent an appearance as a slot on “Saturday Night Live.”

Overall, these are excellent opportunities to invest either your money or your time. I truly believe you’ll benefit from it, and that’s my New Year’s wish for you.

2025-12-29 14:01