PBS/NPR Under Attack
One of the things that has me riled up: the attempted destruction of something I hold near and dear-- public broadcasting. (Quick background: The head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Ken Tomlinson is trying to make PBS and NPR more objective by having people like Brit Hume advise the public broadcasting units on how to be fair and balanced. See background story in the Seattle Times.) A number of questionable things have now come to light, including the secret hiring of a supposedly independent researcher, Fred Mann (article from the NYT), an earlier NYT article noted lobbyists' involvement in CPB, and another piece from Raw Story cited emails further indicating Bush administration involvement in what is supposed to be a public institution not subject to political influences. A number of Senators sent a letter to Bush yesterday calling for Tomlinson's resignation, saying that "Tomlinson has spent a great deal of time and the public’s money undermining public television in his new post and making the CPB weaker than before he took over the chairmanship."
Update: NPR did a story on the emails June 20. Also, see a WP article on cutting CPB funding. Also, the Nation has some suggestions for things you can do to save NPR/PBS.

I feel personally attacked by this, because I love PBS and NPR: we're talking about Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Frontline, NOVA... If they succeed in killing PBS as I know and love it, they will be breaking a little piece of my heart...