Woodward: Religion and PBS

The Public Broadcasting Service is considering revoking the affiliation of local stations that broadcast "sectarian" programs. A few local PBS affiliates do apparently carry religious programming, such as weekly "Mass for shut-ins" broadcasts, and continuing to do so may mean the end of these stations' ability to include PBS programming in their schedules. If you want Big Bird, then you'll have to cancel Jesus.

The move under consideration by PBS would represent stricter enforcement of the corporation's bylaws (adopted in 1985), which allow member stations to broadcast only "noncommercial, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian" programs. (It's not a new rule, in other words, just a more faithful observance of an old one.) Anybody who has listened recently to the fulsome, lengthy, and obviously PR-firm-written descriptions of PBS sponsors that begin and end every PBS broadcast knows just how loosely the "noncommercial" stipulation in these bylaws is enforced. As for the "nonpartisan" stipulation...well, some jokes write themselves.

But the "nonsectarian" rule is one that PBS still feels honor-bound to enforce, and my guess is that they will do so with a vengeance. Good-bye Catholicism, hello Deepak Chopra.

The rank hypocrisy of this proposed move should trouble anyone who can read, and think logically...and pay taxes. But, in a spirit of "bringing us together," I would like to propose a compromise. Catholics should be willing to give up their PBS-broadcast Masses (just go to EWTN instead) in return for PBS's pledge (adopting PBS's favorite word) to drop its own "sectarian" programming, a few examples of which I'll be happy to list:

Bill Moyers: Faith & Reason
Bill Moyers Journal
Bill Moyers: NOW -- The Battle over Evolution
Bill Moyers: Genesis -- A Living Conversation
Bill Moyers: Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth