Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service in the United States. PBS is affiliated with National Public Radio, American Public Media, and Public Radio International through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a entity of the federal government. Each member station is owned by independently but they share programming and funding which means they show similar programs.
PBS, along with NPR, has been accused of aiming its broadcast toward wealthy, elite segments of the American population while neglecting others, who nonethless pay for the programming. When Congress debated cutting funding for NPR and PBS, House Democrats appealed to the children's programming on PBS such as Sesame Street. Puppets of Sesame Street characters were brought into the House chambers, and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) commented: "Oscar the Grouch has been friendlier to the Sesame Street characters than President Bush." [2] Most of PBS's programming, however, is aimed at children as they feed over 12 hours of children's programming every day of the week versus 6-8 hours of adult programming.
It has also been accused of scientific fraud for its part in broadcasting a NOVA (PBS) program claiming to have discovered how the Egyptian pyramids were constructed. Publicity for the program claimed that only ancient methods were used,[1] but actually all but 3 or 4 of the massive blocks were placed with modern machinery, i.e., a front end loader.[2]
Notes
- ↑ "To understand how the ancient pyramid builders might have gone about their colossal tasks, Mr. Ahmed's men will confine themselves to the materials and tools available in ancient times as much as possible." NOVA | Transcripts | This Old Pyramid | PBS
- ↑ "NOVA used a front-end loader and modern steel tools to build a tiny, unfinished pyramid, and so, NOVA's claim to have solved the problems of pyramid construction are invalid. [1]
