PBS considers putting shows online

CEO says she wants to make PBS content available on whatever media platform consumers choose to use.

The story "PBS considers putting shows online" published April 18, 2006 at 5:13 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[umbrae]

This would rock...

And be awesome for Schools!

[SeizeCTRL]

Wait a minute

Shouldn't Public Broadcasting be FREE??? Don't we already pay for these shows with donations and tax money? Why should we have to turn around again and pay for the shows we already paid for with government funds? I'm all for public radio/tv, but when the government funds a huge portion of their operations and the government gets their money from our taxes, then why should I have to buy a show? If they are going to start selling shows then I would like it better if my tax money went to other things besides PBS.

[JoeCrow]

Agreed

The article's a little sketchy on their real plans, but I totally agree that selling content in any form (other than DVDs that have to be manufactured and distributed) abandons the idea of "public broadcasting", right there in their name.

Of course the argument could be made that converting content and streaming it isn't free, but this cost should be covered by the public, just like all their broadcast costs.

[Zymurgist]

A paltry amount of tax money

... goes to PBS. Only about 15% of public
broadcasting money comes from your taxes (their
federal appropriation is $396 million this year,
about $1.34 per person in the US), so perhaps
you ought to get a 15% discount on the cost of
providing you content. The other 85% percent
comes from commercial patrons and private
parties ("viewers like you").

Frankly, if I could download a PBS show for
$1.99 in any format I wanted and the cash went
to PBS, I'd be all over that. Better than
spending $1.99 on slop from iTunes and the cash
going to Time-Warner.

[PT78]

About time!

Do it...because I really don't care to watch Lost or Scrubs on the plane.