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1

Charles McGrath IS an ass...though I would agree that PBS could use a little livening up.

Posted by michael strangeways | February 19, 2008 2:49 PM
2

Yes, McGrath can suck it.

Maybe PBS is so dull because they have no choice? If they go out on a limb, they'll get smacked down? (Why do you think those Republicans were inserted into the process?) Well, that's just one theory. My other theory (more strongly held) is that PBS & NPR are just staffed by dull, timid people.

I have cable, and I love the hell of out of Discovery, History, and NatGeo channels, but there's a problem here: ratings. Selling ad space.

I don't see much of anything on these channels that's historical, needs to be told, but painful and depressing, like "Banished", or the recent profile on Dr. Walter Freeman, the roving lobotomizer. Such things aren't good for ratings!

Also nice to see some member of the elite sniff about how cable TV takes care of these things nowadays, as if everybody has cable, can afford cable, should have cable. I don't have to swing a cat very far to find a you a Bill Bennett conservative who will put his poker chips down for a minute to pontificate about how the poor shouldn't be paying money on cable TV or satellite TV.

McGrath also pisses on earnestness & handwringing, a la Moyers. Oh, hurray for sophistication and cynicism, while we all snooze through telecom immunity, and a zillion other scams being perpretrated of late.

History Chanel potrays aerial dogfights like a kewl video game. Ken Burns "The War" showed more real, bleeding, dying teenaged boys than I've ever seen on any TV show, and I only watched about 45 minutes of it.

Grumble grumble...

Posted by CP | February 20, 2008 1:30 PM

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