Every morning before I left for school, kindergarten through eighth grade me sat down to watch the last fifteen minutes of whatever PBS Kids show was on at the moment, be it Arthur, Cyberchase, or Martha Speaks, while eating breakfast. I never grew up with Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, or Cartoon Network. In fact, my family never switched to cable TV until I was about to leave for college (great timing). Despite being deprived of shows that make up a surprising number of internet jokes and Buzzfeed quizzes, I wouldn't trade my PBS Kids show-filled childhood for the world. I remember Between the Lions, my favorite show, airing in the early afternoon right after swim lessons and watching it in full dripping wet and reeking of chlorine.
Needless to say I loved PBS Kids as a child and well into early adolescence, and I still love the PBS station programs from Downton Abbey to Nature to my parents' favorite Antiques Roadshow. So when I heard that PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting could be facing a drastic budget cut, I grew anxious. But I learned these budget slashes are no new enemy to CPB and public broadcasting officials. While PBS receives many of its significant contributions from private donors, they can only go so far to keep the network alive. Sure, long running popular shows such as Sesame Street could most likely survive relatively well with its merchandise sales and sponsorships, what about local PBS Kids stations? According to an article from The Washington Post, half of the funding for these local channels comes from state and local governments. With the CPB's potential budget cut, many areas across the country could very much lose the PBS network from their local station.
PBS and PBS Kids allow families who cannot afford cable to have access to a plethora of educational programs, so the kids can watch Wild Kratts or Sid the Science Kid or Wordgirl after school while the parent(s) work.
It's hard to imagine my life without PBS and PBS Kids. They have consistently served its purpose in providing top quality educational programs since 1969. While I write this solely on a platform of emotion and nostalgia, I urge donating to your local PBS station because it's contributions from viewers like you that keep kids, adults, and potentially your favorite shows running. Thank you.
