Much of these arguments seem to be focused on how you can still see the classics like Mr Rogers, Sesame Street, etc online or on cable services. While true, you arenât going to get as much new quality content going forward. Most if not all npr and pbs shows that become nationwide hits start with a tiny budget on a local station and are able to grow into what they become. That is where CPB money was focused.
I canât imagine how many of these shows try and fail for every one that becomes a nationwide program (and many of those succeed and are cherished at the local level). All that is gone now. Just like with the brain drain that is coming due to the harassment of university faculty and the bullshit going on with visas; these true damage of these cuts wonât be felt for a decade.
Also, it is not true that âzeroâ kids (and adults) require OTA public media to have access to these shows. Itâs like last mile mail and package delivery. It is extremely difficult and the government is the most efficient of all the inefficient ways to accomplish it. Hell I get shit all the time from Amazon that starts out as an Amazon or UPS / FedEx on the app and winds up coming by USPS and I live smack in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the country