PBS Funding in Danger: Help Save Sesame Street

Greetings, Muppet fans! We have an interesting post for you today... now, on The Muppet Mindset we've never been political or taken a stance on any real political issues (mostly because we don't know what they're about). But today, we feel like we have to report on this issue that could alter the lives of millions and millions of men, women, and especially children for the worse. We feel that this issue is something that all Muppet fans can relate to and support... because if we don't, it could mean Sesame Street will lose its home of over 40 years.

The Republicans of the United States Congress are proposing massive budget cuts, including a complete removal of funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports both National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the latter of which has been the exclusive broadcaster of new episodes of Sesame Street since 1969. This would mean the loss of millions of dollars in funding to public entertainment and media outlets and an extreme loss in funding to programs on public networks.

PBS president Paula Kerger said it best when she stated, "It's America's children who will feel the greatest loss, especially those who can't attend preschool." The American children will lose Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Barney and Friends, Dinosaur Train, Sid the Science Kid, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, The Electric Company, and countless other high-quality television programs that educate the children of the United States every single day.

Granted, not all of PBS's funding comes from the CPB, but at least 15% of it does, and taking out 15% of funding from the station that broadcasts numerous programs from Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit organization, is a huge blow to their funding and their ability to produce programming.

No one knows how much a complete CPB national funding cut will affect Sesame Street or PBS, nor do we know how hard it would hit the already financially struggling PBS stations around the country. Whatever the amount it will hit, it certainly will not be a beneficial law for them.

So whatever your political affiliation, I sincerely hope you can stand behind the drive to save the CPB, NPR, PBS, and the home of Sesame Street and countless other timeless, wonderful children's television programs that have educated and been beloved by millions and millions of people, of all walks of life, of all political affiliations, all over the country. I would be willing to bet all I have that an overwhelming majority of these Republican congressman have had children and grandchildren who have been affected by Sesame Street and they don't even realize it.

If you would like to read more about the budget debates and the plight of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, please read this ABC News article all about it.

If you would like to support the cause, please sign this online petition or, better yet, write a physical letter or an email to your Congressman or woman.

There are over 75 million graduates of Sesame Street in the United States alone... Big Bird, Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, and countless other characters have touched the lives of children for over 40 years. It seems wrong to see them go at this point, so supporting the CPB and PBS and NPR is an extremely important ideal for anyone who has been touched by a sunny day.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier