PBS: Purpose and Relevancy in Today's Market

With cable and DBS penetration now at or exceeding 90M homes, the questions regarding how and why PBS should be funded will likely grow. As a former PBS/NPR guy through my work at the former WNYC Communications Group, it was always easier for me to make the case for NPR in a marketplace where radio became increasingly homogenized, niched and predictable. PBS has been, and continues to be, a source of excellent television. However, except for more rural markets, the diversity of cable and satellite programming is a reality for many American homes. Yet, while PBS culture and operations need reassessment and the kind of deal recently struck with Comcast for creation of a new toddler channel raises additional questions, I still believe that a public television voice can offer valuable alternatives. The still undecided issue of digital multi-cast must-carry needs resolution in a way that doesn't guarantee any broadcast entity carriage of multiple video streams per broadcast signal, but in that framework there is room for a revitalized PBS.