My letters regarding PBS & "The free flow of ideas and debate [that] helps us participate in the political process as informed citizens."

http://170millionamericans.net/
letter i just sent to my elected officials

Public TV and Radio Matter to the We the people of America

Dear---------

Please support funding for public broadcasting.

Federal funds are an important part of keeping the arts and sciences alive and well- and relevant... $1.35 per citizen per year is a small price to pay for the immense amount of quality programming PBS & NPR provide.

My local public television and radio stations are crucially important to me and to the 170 million Americans who tune into various public broadcasting services each month, plus all visitors who might want to listen to or watch something more intellectually stimulating, aesthetically appealing and culturally important than the barrage of lowest common denominator trash programming and paid infomercials that tend to dominate most all of America's commercial TV.

Furthermore, the local community outreach and uplift aspect of our public TV & radio improves the quality of every conversation: High quality, educational, non-commercial highest common denominator content is far too valuable to far too many people in far too many different ways to lose.

Please do all you can to keep funding PBS & NPR.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

PUBLIC BROADCASTING STRENGTHENS OUR DEMOCRACY
The free flow of ideas and debate helps us participate in the political process as informed citizens.

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http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/
PBS Ombudsman- What's Next for Post-Mubarak Egypt?

Dear PBS,

Earlier today, responding to the 170 million Americans for Public Broadcasting campaign I wrote my elected leaders asking that they don't cut funding. http://170millionamericans.net/

I sincerely thank you for all the quality programming you provide. In particular, I can not help but be immensely grateful for the calm and intelligent approach taken concerning the recent events in Egypt. I very much appreciated PBS Newshour's probing "What's Next for Post-Mubarak Egypt?

AIR DATE: Feb. 11, 2011

I like that Arab and Arab American voices are rising up to help be a bridge between East and West, connecting "us" and "them" into a collective WE, world citizens willing to flex our civic muscle for everyone's sake.

In Lebanon's Daily Star I recently read a fascinating op-ed on how In the information age, the nature of power is changing : "Conventional wisdom has always held that the state with the largest military prevails. In an information age, however, it may be the state (or non-state) with the best story that wins. Today, it is far from clear how to measure a balance of power, much less how to develop successful survival strategies for this new world." Joseph S. Nye

I believe that this new world, and the marketplace of ideas- and stories- is well served by the high caliber of dialogs and discussions and high quality programming that PBS provides, in hopes of shaping better polices and empowered citizens here there and everywhere.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

PBS Newshour
What's Next for Post-Mubarak Egypt?


As President Mubarak steps aside and the military assumes control, Egypt faces numerous obstacles as it transitions to democracy. Jeffrey Brown talks with Harvard University's Tarek Masoud, Tufts University's Rami Khouri and Hisham Melhem of Al-Arabiya TV about what's ahead for Egypt's political sce

ANALYSIS AIR DATE: Feb. 11, 2011

After Egypt's 'Cosmic' Day, Will Army Usher in Democratic, Civilian Government?