What Would Happen If PBS Just Disappeared?

PBS is not gone yet. That is the truth. However, there is discussion among many federal officials about the cut of funding for public broadcasting channels, like PBS. This may not come as a surprise when you see many of the other areas of the federal government losing funding, but it comes as a shock. PBS is used among many, almost every kid has seen at least one tv show they have produced. PBS has produced some of the fundamental shows that kids grow upon and have learned so much from. Losing PBS as a broadcasting channel would significantly affect many kids of today. 

One of the things that makes PBS great for all families is that it’s free. Yes, taxpayers pay for the program by paying federal taxes, but you don’t have to pay directly to watch it like you may have to with other services. The people pay for the program, so the people get to enjoy it. PBS is designed to be an educational channel that can benefit all communities and people by producing shows and information that educates and influences.

 Yet, this is being threatened right now. Even if the federal government is technically funding the program, it’s not a huge portion of the federal budget. According to Ballotpedia, funding broadcasting channels is roughly 0.012% of the budget, which they found via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This truly is not a lot of the federal budget when you compare the percent to other programs. 

Additionally, for those families who may not be able to afford different channel services, such as Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, or cable television, PBS is a great option for shows. PBS Kids roughly has 15.5 million monthly users, according to the PBS Foundation. Many kids use this service, and it shows. With a diverse array of programs, PBS offers all kids different shows to educate them on various topics, like friendship or basic spelling. For example, the show Wild Kratts teaches kids science, specifically natural history and animal facts, through funny adventures and interesting characters. Having access to shows that directly try to teach kids and benefit their futures is significant for many viewers. Not that other channels don’t try to do this, but PBS has been more successful. All children should have access to educational programs, no matter what their parents can afford, and PBS accomplishes this. 

Branching off this, PBS, especially for kids, focuses on bringing education in the form of fun tv shows. As I mentioned before, many channels and programs don’t show the same level of commitment to education like PBS does. Shows like Wild Kratts, Word Girl, and Word World focus on teaching kids a lesson on spelling and sciences, yet PBS also publishes shows like Cliford the Big Red Dog and Barney to teach values on being a good friend, which everyone should learn. These shows are specifically designed to teach the viewers an educational lesson. If we were to lose PBS, finding shows that have the same emphasis on education would be difficult, not impossible, but difficult. 

Having PBS as a service is important to the public, especially for children. Having access to shows that intend to bring benefits to the viewers is significant, and something that many children’s shows of today lack. You don’t need to pay for an additional service after you have already bought an expensive T.V., which unfortunately is the case today with many children’s shows. We should try to keep PBS around as long as possible to retain access to services for the public like this one. If we get rid of PBS, who knows what might be taken next.

***I do not own the rights to this photo! The rights belong to ARLnow.