Article: Congressional Republicans target PBS and NPR funding

We probably shouldn't talk about politics here. 

But as it relates to PBS (and indirectly CW), are you aware PBS might get their federal funding cut?

Congressional Republicans target PBS and NPR funding in contentious hearing

https://apnews.com/article/doge-pbs-npr-elon-trump-musk-99a40be6cbbe8932047afe371f91fdc5

Not just CW for me

In Iowa, PBS broadcasts a lot of the High School State Championships. PBS is the only way some people can see them.

The first time I saw CW was on PBS.  I dumped cable TV about two years ago (cost).  Yes, there's an app, but most things require some kind of membership.  Because of where I live, I can't use an antenna (HOA issues) and one of the small ones won't pick up my station. 

I actually came here specifically looking to see if anyone mentioned this. I'm not too sure it'll affect CW that much because they are so incredibly successful with tours, CDs, and merchdise I'd think they could supplement any needed production for DVDs in the next 4 years.

For me, I'm more worried about Sesame Street. I don't have any kids to watch it but they've always been the trailblazers when it comes to issues facing kids. They've dealt with racism, death, 9/11, autism, homelessness, job loss, and so many other hard topics in kid friendly ways that it would be a huge gut punch for many kids and parents to loose it.

If you have the PBS app, there is a pop-up asking you to write to Congress. They make it easy for you. There is a form letter here:
protect.pbs.org

I got this email from my local PBS.

The House has voted to end public media funding

Just moments ago, the House voted to take back already-approved federal funding for public media. This is deeply disappointing news—but the fight isn’t over.

The Senate still needs to vote. If just 50 Senators agree, this vital funding——could disappear.

This funding supports the programs, stories, and voices that reflect and serve our community. Without it, the future of public media is uncertain.

The Senate vote could come within the next few weeks. We don’t have much time—but we do have one last chance to make a difference.

Thank you for standing with us—and with public media.

Your belief in the importance of local news, the power of storytelling, and the richness of music and culture strengthens our entire community.

So what does it mean now that funding is slashed? Will it not be available in some areas?

So what does it mean now that funding is slashed? Will it not be available in some areas?

I don't think anyone knows what's going to happen.  As seems to be typical with government programs, it's all about the details/requirements which are not yet written.  Congress appropiates a pot of money.  The various bureaucrats end up determing how it gets distributed.

So what does it mean now that funding is slashed? Will it not be available in some areas?

PBS says 'yes' to your last question.

Each local PBS is like a business. Their business income is from donations, corporations, and govt funding. Govt funding is now $0. So in big cities, the local PBS can survive on donations & corporations. In small cities, they won't be able to survive because the donations & corporations are less.

That's the message PBS is getting out there.

Does the lack of funding mean they can’t afford to air anymore CW TV specials?

The NY show was just canceled due to low ticket sales. Lack of exposure might be a factor

I think it's possible they could fund a concert special, in some capacity, even without PBS through sponsors, but a medium to broadcast it could be a concern. I'm not sure that a direct to Blu-ray production would be profitable. If PBS isn't able to pick it up and give it a platform where it can be viewed, they may have to look at non-traditional avenues, like streaming, which I've been advocating for a while to reach a broader demographic. It would be a challenge, but also a big opportunity.

Does the lack of funding mean they can’t afford to air anymore CW TV specials?

The NY show was just canceled due to low ticket sales. Lack of exposure might be a factor

I mean, this is all assuming that there would have been a PBS show last year or now. They could be planning something for later this year. I’m trying not to be pessimistic, even though it’s pretty hard in these times. I could write a whole rant about how awful the political climate is today (and also the climate in general!), but this is probably not the right place. Hopefully things can get better in a few years with new leaders and whatnot, but those who seek power rarely have the people’s interest in mind.

I’m fairly certain that many PBS programs such as Sesame Street are still functioning, so they may still be able to pull together the means to make a new CW special.

I've been thinking, and while I know it's hard, especially in this climate, I think it is important to not be too pessimistic about CW's future. People were afraid that CW was over when Mairead C (on computer so no fadas) left and it took a while for Muirgen to be announced, we were also panicking about CW's future when the only 2025 tour was the Christmas Symphony one. And in the former case, we got an incredible vocalist and Postcards From Ireland, and in the latter, we got A New Era!

It is certainly hard for artists to make it these days, and there's a lot of horrible things going on that can make everything seem futile, and although it is important to be aware of the atrocities being committed and the corruption of those in power, it is also important to maintain a sense of joy within oneself. And people have been predicting the end of the world since the world itself came into existence, and from what I can tell, our lovely planet is still spinning.

TL;DR: don't be too pessimistic, there's legitimate concerns but it's likely CW shall still continue

PS: sorry if this got too carried away and/or preachy, I tend to get carried away in my writing but also, I'm proud of what I wrote!

Keeping in mind I'm old (as in maybe 4 TV stations old) ....

Everyone keeps saying streaming is the way to go.  Part of that however is you have to specifically look for something.  In my case, I found CW by simply running thru channels one night (cable) when I was bored.  Today, there are so many options/subscriptions/etc out there, how do new groups get exposure?  While CW isn't a "new" group, it kind of is because of the way COVID effected everything.  Going back to the "early days", I went to a lot of shows.  The girls recognized me, especially when the M&Gs were after the show and more informal.  It's different today.

So is the PBS funding cuts having an effect on groups like CW?  Yes, but there are other factors. 

Keeping in mind I'm old (as in maybe 4 TV stations old) ....

Everyone keeps saying streaming is the way to go.  Part of that however is you have to specifically look for something.  In my case, I found CW by simply running thru channels one night (cable) when I was bored.  Today, there are so many options/subscriptions/etc out there, how do new groups get exposure?  While CW isn't a "new" group, it kind of is because of the way COVID effected everything.  Going back to the "early days", I went to a lot of shows.  The girls recognized me, especially when the M&Gs were after the show and more informal.  It's different today.

So is the PBS funding cuts having an effect on groups like CW?  Yes, but there are other factors.

Back in 2022-23, the old version of Téir Abhaile Riú went semi-viral, which is actually how I discovered CW. It was a very popular audio for any “cottagecore” video, and even reached into some other communities as well.

One interesting thing about the internet is that pretty much any song can blow up out of nowhere, no matter how old it is. A Judy Garland song was making the rounds on TikTok recently, and songs from extremely niche bands can appear everywhere in fan edits. Obviously, having fame helps, but part of the beauty of the internet is how random things can blow up out of nowhere.

I’m not sure if more social media marketing is key here, but I think that using the internet to your advantage certainly helps.