See that’s what you’re missing, these programs are more than just entertainment. They provide windows into history. Windows into science, crafts, other countries, classical culture, all sorts of things.
Why can’t you point to one show of Nova quality and longevity? Why is there nothing like that on commercial channels around here?
Like I said before commercialism reduces everything to the lowest common denominator. You keep repeating things, without pointing to one shred of evidence to back them up.
Seems to me that you’re missing the point. Those same shows can still exist without taxpayer funding. Why are they not on alternate networks already? Maybe the taxpayer funding provide a platform that makes it very hard to compete for a commercial network. There is a wealth of alternate nature programming already available, alternate news programming - more than we will ever need, Discovery Network does a pretty good job with both Science & Nature without taxpayer funding. Sorry, it’s time for this sacred cow to earn it’s own way.
Throughout history, government has provided funding for the arts. It was the kings of France that paid for the Louvre, for example. Throughout history, the generations that followed have been grateful to the ones that came before.
Today, the funding is still being footed by the common taxpayer as opposed to a “King”. Arguably, the King may have been accumulating his wealth by robbing the common people so maybe there are more commonalities with today than what I at first thought…:dubious:
Be that as it may, of those benevolent generations that followed it was still the Royalty and/or the Wealthy that provided funding, but primarily for their own entertainment and/or as a show piece in order to outshine their rival peers.
To think that we’ll come to a time where there will be no funding for the arts is foolish. However, there is much programming on PBS & NPR that should exist only on the free market without taxpayer funding. There is only a small percentage of what is broadcast that I would refer to as “Arts”