Village Voice - March 17 - 23, 2004
Press Clips by Cynthia Cotts PBS Gets Picky A Reporter Disses Halliburton, and Newshour Producers Decide His 15 Minutes of Airtime Are Up
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Parenti, author of an upcoming book on occupied Iraq, was being interviewed by NewsHour's Ray Suarez. He and Middle East history professor Juan Cole were analyzing the recent suicide bombings in Iraq and various groups that might have been involved. Then something went terribly wrong: Parenti suggested that Halliburton and Bechtel have failed to provide "meaningful reconstruction" and that the U.S. occupation might actually be contributing to the instability in Iraq. Lehrer apparently went ballistic.
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PBS' long march to total irrelevancy (as opposed to near total irrelevancy) continues with deliberate speed and ruthless efficiency.
Right now, my local PBS station is in the midst of one of it's painful fund drives in which tired, aging on-air personalities try to alternately flatter and shame viewers ('you're above average, that's why you choose PBS -- listen, we know you're watching, why don't you pay your fair share?').
Of course, programs like the "NewsHour" are centerpieces of the beg-a-thons ('where else will you get this balanced, rational reportage except on PBS?'). But that's to be expected.
Stranger is the 'special' fundraising-only programming designed to inspire deep pocketed viewers with questionable taste to surrender gold card and AMEX digits.
Highlights include way too much time with Gary Null and his intense, health unto sickness, stalker-like stare, a parade of bright-eyed money managers advising smiling audiences how to maximize their investment portfolios and lifestyle gurus helping Americans who can afford the cost of endless seminars, video series and tie-in books live the sort of lives only endless seminars, video series and tie-in books can offer.
It's been many years since I gave money to PBS -- I now support other outlets which actually seem to be helping (MR, The Baffler, LBO, etc.).
If the network were to disappear today, I'd probably miss the occasional flashy Brian Greene documentary about M theory or Frontline special on some FBI created disaster but aside from that the absence would inspire only a wide mouthed and leisurely yawn.
DRM