1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:05,639 Speaker 1: What's going on? 2 00:00:05,759 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,080 is heard live every day from noon to three on 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,839 WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,160 like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, my daily 6 00:00:17,199 --> 00:00:19,480 show prep with all the links, become a patron, go 7 00:00:19,559 --> 00:00:23,399 to dpeakclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button. 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,359 Get every episode for free, write to your smartphone or tablet, 9 00:00:26,359 --> 00:00:29,600 and again, thank you so much for your support. I 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,759 want to welcome back to the program Stacy Matthews. You 11 00:00:32,799 --> 00:00:36,479 can read her work at RedState dot com. She also 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,560 writes under the pseudonym and has for years since the 13 00:00:39,719 --> 00:00:43,200 advent of blogging itself under the name of sister told 14 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,679 you Hello, Stacey, how are you, Hey, Pete. 15 00:00:45,719 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 3: I'm doing good. I'm waiting for this news cycle to 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,520 slow down, so I take a vacation. 17 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: No, no, it's never gonna stop again. Ever, if it does, 18 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,439 that means the Internet is broken. So all right, So 19 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,280 let's start with a couple of pieces. You got one 20 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:06,079 that I guess this was posted today about CBS, so 21 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,840 people may be aware. CBS's parent company, Paramount Global, settled 22 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:16,560 a lawsuit with President Donald Trump. The amount was I 23 00:01:16,599 --> 00:01:20,640 think like sixteen million dollars, and it'll go to cover 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,280 legal fees, but also a nice chunk of change will 25 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,359 go to his presidential library, which I think is going 26 00:01:27,359 --> 00:01:31,480 to be hilarious. If his presidential library is completely funded 27 00:01:31,519 --> 00:01:35,519 by media, that would be that would be pretty apropos. 28 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,359 Speaker 3: I think ABC News is working that a little bit 29 00:01:39,359 --> 00:01:40,079 on that front too. 30 00:01:40,239 --> 00:01:42,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, So yeah, I mean you could have this 31 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,120 whole shrine to Trump paid for by media, which is 32 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,439 it's apropos becaus Like without the media, he probably would 33 00:01:49,439 --> 00:01:53,120 not have risen as he did back in twenty fifteen 34 00:01:53,159 --> 00:01:54,680 with all of the coverage that he was getting. 35 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: But I digress. 36 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,439 Speaker 2: The point here is that the settlement occurred, and it 37 00:02:00,439 --> 00:02:05,200 it occurred because of the way Sixty Minutes edited an 38 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,199 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris during the twenty twenty 39 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:13,039 four presidential election, and I thought that was sort of 40 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,000 sort of the end of it. But I was surprised, 41 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,199 there's a New York Times interview that you are quoting here. 42 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,599 Speaker 1: So wait, do you have a New York Times subscription? 43 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:24,599 Speaker 3: I do. 44 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, everything I thought I knew of you 45 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:29,280 is shattered. 46 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,319 Speaker 3: Well, you know, Pete. I'm one of those people that 47 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,680 wait until like a week before the subscription goes out, 48 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,560 and then I'll threaten to cancel, and then they offer 49 00:02:35,599 --> 00:02:37,919 it to me for like three or four dollars a month. Oh, 50 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:39,919 kind of like the Charlotte Observer does, except I think 51 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:41,919 there's a late ninety one cent. Now I'm not subscribed 52 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:43,560 to the Observer. I do have a line that I 53 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:44,560 draw on that. 54 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,439 Speaker 2: Well that's fair, okay, Well, all right, so I guess 55 00:02:47,479 --> 00:02:51,280 I can't. Yeah, I have an Observer subscription. 56 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,199 Speaker 3: Oh yes, my opinion about. 57 00:02:54,039 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: You, but not a New York Times subscription. All right. 58 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 2: So in the New York Times, they did an interview 59 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:05,400 with the CBS Corporation CBS Corporation vice chair Sherry Redstone, 60 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,639 and what did she tell the Times. 61 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 3: Well, she's she is not she is not the vice 62 00:03:12,439 --> 00:03:15,599 chair anymore, but she was acting in a capacity of 63 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,039 non executive chair. She basically had stepped back from her 64 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,800 role there around the time that all this started happening 65 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,199 with the lawsuit, and she even though she had stepped 66 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,240 back from settlement discussions in January, according to her, she 67 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,080 revealed something in a pretty extensive interview with the New 68 00:03:33,159 --> 00:03:36,560 York Times and this is what they wrote, they said 69 00:03:36,759 --> 00:03:40,360 in part. One of the reasons why she she speculates 70 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,319 that the settlement occurred was that they were worried about 71 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,400 Trump's lawyers being able to get their hands on raw 72 00:03:48,439 --> 00:03:53,520 footage of some past sixty minutes interviews that that CBS 73 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,879 News did. And one of the interviews Sherry Redstone talked 74 00:03:57,879 --> 00:04:00,199 about was one with Joe Biden in October two, twenty 75 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:05,039 twenty three, when Scott Pelley interviewed Biden and the according 76 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,840 to what she said, the President had seemed drowsy and 77 00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:12,319 had to be prodded to answer, and she said she 78 00:04:12,479 --> 00:04:15,400 and some others CBS News worried that CBS might be 79 00:04:15,439 --> 00:04:19,720 accused of editing the interviews to conceal mister Biden's failings. 80 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,040 And her quote was, this case was never as black 81 00:04:23,079 --> 00:04:27,439 and white as people assumed. Other words, in other words, 82 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,639 you know that where there was where there was smoke, 83 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,759 there was fire here. You know, Trump made an allegation, 84 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,279 and you know, you read between the lines of this 85 00:04:35,399 --> 00:04:37,839 and this is like hmm, and this was kind of predictable. 86 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,680 There were people that were saying, right after the news 87 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,399 of the settlement was announced that you know, these resistance 88 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,279 media organizations, they don't typically settle unless there is fire 89 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,000 to the smoke, and that's kind of what happened here, 90 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,600 I believe, with CBS sitting on this unaired footage of 91 00:04:56,759 --> 00:05:00,000 Joe Biden allegedly needing to be prodded by his interview 92 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:01,399 or because he looked sleepy. 93 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 2: Yeah so, And just looking at the timeline, this interview 94 00:05:06,199 --> 00:05:10,279 with Biden occurred according to The Times in October twenty 95 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,519 twenty three. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but October 96 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,480 twenty twenty three, that would be before the debate performance 97 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,519 that ended his re election campaign. 98 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: I believe that would be before. 99 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, because the debate happened in June of twenty 100 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,199 twenty four. And this something else, something else you have 101 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,079 to consider is that you know, there was a revelation 102 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,360 I think it was to a couple of months ago, 103 00:05:34,439 --> 00:05:38,040 and I forgive me for not remembering the particulars, but 104 00:05:38,199 --> 00:05:43,360 it was revealed that Biden had been his medical team 105 00:05:43,959 --> 00:05:50,439 sometimes had him on sleeping aids right well, which which 106 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,639 for somebody of his age, and with some of the 107 00:05:53,639 --> 00:05:57,040 issucy that had gone on, it could lead to the 108 00:05:57,079 --> 00:05:59,240 types of problems that we sow from him, you know, 109 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,720 the forgetful and just looking out of it and lost 110 00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:04,920 and kind of things like that. So this kind of 111 00:06:04,959 --> 00:06:07,240 would lend credence to that as well. 112 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:12,199 Speaker 2: So interesting and yeah, so I agree with you. Your assessment 113 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,439 here is that they decided to settle because they were 114 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,920 sitting on something they feared would prove Trump right. And yeah, 115 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,000 when Trump had been hammering Biden, and you know, right 116 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,680 wing media has been hammering Biden for years that he 117 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,519 is in cognitive decline. And why isn't the media covering 118 00:06:29,519 --> 00:06:33,199 this If they're sitting on a raw interview footage of 119 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:38,959 Biden appearing to prove that very accusation, then they don't 120 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,439 want that to get out either. It's also I think 121 00:06:41,439 --> 00:06:44,360 this happened with the CNN settlement as well. There's a 122 00:06:44,399 --> 00:06:47,560 lot of stuff in the internal communications that they don't 123 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,160 want to divulge because it would obviously lay bare the 124 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,319 lie that they are an impartial media operation when we 125 00:06:55,399 --> 00:06:56,959 know they are not right. 126 00:06:56,959 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 3: I mean, if you think about it too, be in 127 00:06:58,879 --> 00:07:02,079 some of these lawsuits, you know, there could be this 128 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,120 thing where they don't necessarily feel like they would lose 129 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,720 the lawsuits in the court of law, but in a 130 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,600 court of public opinion. Sometimes things come out in lawsuits 131 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,120 that are far more damaging, you know that than a 132 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,759 potential loss or even a win. You know, let's say 133 00:07:16,759 --> 00:07:19,759 they won the lawsuit and defeated Trump. You know, the 134 00:07:19,839 --> 00:07:22,399 larger issue could have been, you know, what came out 135 00:07:22,399 --> 00:07:25,959 from discovery, which you know that one Biden interview was 136 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,240 a case in point that could have damaged them so much, 137 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,120 so much more than anything that came out of. 138 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,319 Speaker 2: This lawsuit, right, and then they would have also shown 139 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,519 a pattern that CBS was engaged in. Because if they're 140 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,560 doing that for Biden and then they're doing it for Harris, 141 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:41,399 who else are they doing it for? 142 00:07:41,839 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: Right? 143 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 3: Right? 144 00:07:42,759 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, I know, I think that's a stute. 145 00:07:44,879 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: Speaking of media, and I just saw this come across 146 00:07:48,839 --> 00:07:53,439 Twitter formerly known as x NPR host Ari Shapiro is 147 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:59,040 leaving NPR at the end of September. Ari Shapiro is 148 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,399 the host of All Things Considered. You've also got a 149 00:08:02,439 --> 00:08:08,000 piece posted to RedState dot Com about NPR And I 150 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:13,920 saw this story also at Legal Insurrection that apparently there's 151 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:19,519 some foundations that are going to step up and pour 152 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,680 millions and millions of dollars into NPR stations. I am 153 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,759 completely shocked. Couldn't see that coming right. 154 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,279 Speaker 3: Well, you know, and this this comes on the heels 155 00:08:30,279 --> 00:08:32,600 of another report that we saw from I believe it 156 00:08:32,639 --> 00:08:35,200 was the New York Times a couple of months ago, 157 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,919 where they talked about how donations to NPR PBS stations 158 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:43,799 quote unquote exploded, with donors across the country giving an 159 00:08:43,879 --> 00:08:47,919 unprecedented number since Congress cut federal funding. And so you know, 160 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,240 you had donors, not necessarily wealthy donors, but just you know, 161 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:57,360 random average people donating and actually many of them when 162 00:08:57,399 --> 00:09:00,720 they donated, they set themselves up to be recurring donors, 163 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,759 so they will be continuing to donate, you know, forever, 164 00:09:03,879 --> 00:09:06,960 how long they choose. But this report that came out 165 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,799 from the Washington Post yesterday, it talked about how major 166 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,360 philanthropic organizations including night My Farther and Ford, announced they're 167 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,600 committing nearly thirty seven million in emergency funding to keep 168 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,639 public media stations afloat after Trump's Precisions package stripped away 169 00:09:21,759 --> 00:09:24,919 federal funding. And the weeks of this peak is that 170 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,399 it's actually not even aimed directly at PBS and NPR, 171 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,399 but some other local stations. I think they numbered in 172 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,399 like a one hundred and fifteen radio and TV stations 173 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,320 across the country and rural airs that rural areas that 174 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,960 they say will be especially negatively impacted by the the fundings. 175 00:09:44,639 --> 00:09:47,159 So this isn't even something that goes directly to PBS 176 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,960 and NPR, goes to I guess maybe sister stations to 177 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,360 them across the country, And it's not just a going 178 00:09:54,399 --> 00:09:57,399 to be a band aid. According to the Washington Post report, 179 00:09:57,399 --> 00:10:00,840 it that's a consultancy public media company said it launched 180 00:10:00,879 --> 00:10:04,039 a quote bridge fund Monday today the most at risk 181 00:10:04,039 --> 00:10:07,360 public TV and radio stations to stabilize the system and 182 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,559 the aftermath of federal funding loss and help public media 183 00:10:10,639 --> 00:10:14,440 become more sustainable in the long run. So in other words, 184 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,000 you know, you've got this public media group that that's 185 00:10:17,039 --> 00:10:22,279 actually involved in ongoing funding from rich people, right rich 186 00:10:22,799 --> 00:10:27,200 you know, you know, the typical usual people to fund 187 00:10:27,279 --> 00:10:32,240 over long periods of time to the same the networks 188 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:33,960 and absence of the funding. So it just kind of 189 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,240 proves a point that I know you've made. I've made 190 00:10:36,279 --> 00:10:39,120 another Conservatives have made that hey, they didn't need our 191 00:10:39,159 --> 00:10:39,960 money after all. 192 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 2: No, and the list of the foundations are all the 193 00:10:43,519 --> 00:10:47,480 usual suspects. The Night Foundation you mentioned, the MacArthur Foundation, 194 00:10:47,639 --> 00:10:51,080 the Ford Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Schmidt 195 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:56,840 Family Foundation, Melinda Gates her Pivotal Ventures. If you listen 196 00:10:57,039 --> 00:10:59,919 to any of the NPR programming, you will hear those names. 197 00:11:00,759 --> 00:11:05,480 These are very wealthy foundation's rich donors and they've been 198 00:11:05,519 --> 00:11:08,320 funding NPR for a very long time. And yeah, they 199 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,480 did not need our money. They did not need our 200 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,440 tax money in the first place. They can pay for 201 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,639 the content that they want to hear. And if they 202 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,080 want to hear about the mating rituals of the bumblebee, 203 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,360 then they can pay for that. We don't need, right, Yeah. 204 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,879 Speaker 3: And I think we can thank Cheryl Crow in part 205 00:11:24,879 --> 00:11:26,320 for this, because I don't know if you remember this, 206 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,399 but back in February she made a very public showing 207 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:33,080 of selling her tesla. She posted it on Instagram. She 208 00:11:33,159 --> 00:11:35,759 sold her tesla and she said the prostseeds of it 209 00:11:35,799 --> 00:11:39,320 would go to NPR. So thanks Cheryl, yeah, for inspiring 210 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,919 your fellow leftists to put their money where their mouths are. 211 00:11:43,279 --> 00:11:47,039 Speaker 2: Yes, exactly, Stacy Matthews. You can read her work at 212 00:11:47,159 --> 00:11:50,159 RedState dot com. Always a pleasure to chat with you, Stacey. 213 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:51,960 We won't hold it against you. Did you have a 214 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:53,799 Washington Post subscription too? 215 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 3: I actually do the archives? Oh most of these. I 216 00:11:57,399 --> 00:11:59,759 do the little archive thing. Yeah, yeah, the New York 217 00:11:59,799 --> 00:12:02,080 Time that do get a subscription because we we write 218 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,519 about them a lot. But it's only five bucks a month. 219 00:12:04,519 --> 00:12:05,440 So don't hold it against me. 220 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 2: No, we won't hold it against you, and you won't 221 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,679 hold it against me about my observer subscriptions. 222 00:12:09,759 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 3: I'll try not to. 223 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: All right, Stacy, good to talk with you again. 224 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:13,639 Speaker 3: You two fee. 225 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 1: Thank you, take care that. 226 00:12:14,799 --> 00:12:18,159 Speaker 2: Stacy Matthews from RedState dot com. All Right, so you've 227 00:12:18,159 --> 00:12:20,759 heard me talk about Creative Video for almost a year. 228 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,440 But did you know they also offer a game changing 229 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,840 app for businesses that reward their teams with incentive trips. 230 00:12:27,039 --> 00:12:29,720 Well they do. It's called Incentive Trip Kit. If you 231 00:12:29,759 --> 00:12:31,960 want a business or work at one that offers these 232 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:36,000 incentive trips, this is a mustap. It maximizes the impact 233 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,159 and value of these motivational trips. It's a super easy 234 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,759 to use app built just for your group, with private messaging, 235 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,679 shared photos, important trip documents, even a find the group 236 00:12:46,759 --> 00:12:49,559 locator just in case somebody gets separated, and when I 237 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,200 say it's private, I mean it. No personal emails, no 238 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,120 phone numbers, no ads, no account sign ups. Everyone uses 239 00:12:56,159 --> 00:12:59,320 one shared login, so it's super easy, no hassles. During 240 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,799 the trip, everybody can post their best photos and short 241 00:13:01,879 --> 00:13:04,039 video clips, and folks back at the office can even 242 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,799 follow along. And then after the trip, incentive trip kit 243 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,320 turns those memories into a professional storytelling video you can 244 00:13:10,399 --> 00:13:13,240 use to motivate, inspire, and get people fired up for 245 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,399 next year's trip. More fun, more memories, more ROI check 246 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,679 it out now at incentive tripkit dot com or call 247 00:13:20,799 --> 00:13:23,320 Eric at eight eight eight five three three seventy six 248 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:27,759 thirty seven Extension two seven for the details. So yeah, 249 00:13:27,879 --> 00:13:32,879 Legal Insurrection website piece by Mary Chastain. Now, I mentioned 250 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,879 Legal Insurrection with Stacey because some of her work does 251 00:13:36,919 --> 00:13:40,159 appear over there as well on occasion, but predominantly she's 252 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,399 over at RedState dot com. So I didn't feel like 253 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,480 it was it was in you know, poor etiquette or 254 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,320 anything to mention another website when I had her on 255 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,879 just for the record, not that anybody really cares. Okay, 256 00:13:52,159 --> 00:13:56,440 So Mary Chastain talking about this very same story from 257 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:02,600 the Washington Post about this organized called Public Media Company, 258 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,320 which established a bridge fund for the most at risk 259 00:14:06,399 --> 00:14:10,879 public radio and TV stations across the country. Because, of course, 260 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:17,519 Trump signed the executive order ordering agencies to identify and 261 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,120 terminate to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, any 262 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,440 director in direct funding of NPR and PBS. Of course, 263 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,240 PBSNPR in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which hands out 264 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,360 the funds to the stations, who, then, by the way, 265 00:14:30,399 --> 00:14:35,480 turn around and pay NPR and PBS. 266 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: For the content. 267 00:14:37,159 --> 00:14:40,639 Speaker 2: So that's how that works, okay, So it's not like 268 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:42,759 the stations get to keep all that money. They have 269 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:48,639 to pay for their national network programming. And I've gone 270 00:14:48,679 --> 00:14:50,960 over this model. It's a different model than what we 271 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:56,919 operate under in the commercial space, which is we usually 272 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,639 get shows our national content, which I mean, we don't 273 00:15:00,679 --> 00:15:03,200 really have a lot here at WBT because we are awesome. 274 00:15:04,519 --> 00:15:07,440 You know, we're live and local from five am until 275 00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:11,240 nine pm. But you know, when we have had and 276 00:15:11,639 --> 00:15:15,840 we do use some of the national network shows, you 277 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:21,360 usually get those for free in exchange for advertising slots basically, 278 00:15:22,039 --> 00:15:24,399 so that's why you'll hear some ads on the station 279 00:15:24,679 --> 00:15:28,679 that are national spots, because that's part of that deal. 280 00:15:28,759 --> 00:15:31,240 They get a certain amount of inventory or spots, and 281 00:15:31,279 --> 00:15:33,960 we get a certain amount of inventory, and but we 282 00:15:34,039 --> 00:15:38,799 get the content for free. Except for Rush Limbaugh, we 283 00:15:38,879 --> 00:15:41,000 had to pay. He was the only one that could 284 00:15:41,039 --> 00:15:45,039 charge and he was worth it. So that so that's 285 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:49,960 a different model than what NPR does. They charge all 286 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,080 of their affiliates boatloads of money for all the content, 287 00:15:54,879 --> 00:15:57,399 and so yes, they're handing down the money, but then 288 00:15:57,399 --> 00:15:59,919 they're also turning around and collecting it for the various 289 00:16:00,399 --> 00:16:04,600 programs that they offer. And what's the other one, American 290 00:16:04,679 --> 00:16:07,600 Public Radio I think it's called APR. They also provide 291 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:13,799 national syndicated programming as well. So of course the public 292 00:16:13,879 --> 00:16:20,639 radio and PBS they sued Trump over this executive order, 293 00:16:20,679 --> 00:16:25,159 but that challenge failed because Congress then went and codified 294 00:16:25,279 --> 00:16:30,120 the cuts in the Recisions Act. Okay, so that's where 295 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,600 that stands. Now, there are local impacts to this. People 296 00:16:34,639 --> 00:16:38,799 may remember a fella named Tommy Tomlinson. He used to 297 00:16:38,799 --> 00:16:42,039 be a columnist at the Charlotte Observer. He then went 298 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:47,279 over to the local NPR affiliate here in town, WFAE. 299 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,559 Full disclosure, I worked there as well a long time ago, 300 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,080 not really on air except during a pledge drive or two. 301 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,399 I worked mailing people coffee mugs, doing the daily deposits, 302 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,759 booking the volunteers for the pledge drives, ordering the food 303 00:17:04,759 --> 00:17:07,160 and picking it up from the various local restaurants that 304 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,319 would donate the food to the pledge drives to feed 305 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,920 the volunteers. And then I would also go out and 306 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,400 get the afternoon lunch run. So those were my duties. 307 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,039 Speaker 1: Right out of college. 308 00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 2: So Tommy Tomlinson is apparently out at the NPR affiliate. 309 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:27,599 He told the Charlotte Observer that he had been kind 310 00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:29,960 of wanting to get back to full time writing anyway. 311 00:17:30,039 --> 00:17:34,640 He's sixty one years old and he had seven years 312 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:40,039 on staff back in May, and he hosted the Southbound 313 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:44,079 podcast as well as a commentary segment called on My Mind. 314 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,079 He said, I really enjoyed doing the podcast and working 315 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,400 at the station. The people there were great. I had 316 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,240 a sense that maybe it had run its course for 317 00:17:51,319 --> 00:17:53,400 me creatively, and so when they said they were going 318 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,559 to have to make some cuts, it did feel like 319 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,680 that was a signal for me if I wanted to 320 00:17:57,680 --> 00:17:59,480 take a buy out, that this was a good time 321 00:17:59,559 --> 00:18:02,200 to do it so. On a personal level, Tomlinson wasn't 322 00:18:02,319 --> 00:18:05,759 unhappy to be among the half dozen staff members trimmed 323 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:12,839 last month amid workforce cutbacks by WFAE, and to officially 324 00:18:12,839 --> 00:18:16,119 close out his time with the station earlier this month. 325 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,319 And look, I said this all the time. I don't 326 00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:22,920 celebrate anybody losing their jobs unless they're like corrupt politicians 327 00:18:23,079 --> 00:18:27,000 or bureaucrats or something. But it's difficult. I've been through this. 328 00:18:27,319 --> 00:18:30,200 Anybody who works in radio, well commercial radio, has been 329 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,680 through this. It can be difficult, and I wish him 330 00:18:32,759 --> 00:18:35,920 all the best. Here's a great idea. How about making 331 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,039 an escape to a really special and secluded getaway in 332 00:18:39,079 --> 00:18:41,759 western North Carolina. Just a quick drive up the mountain 333 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,200 and Cabins of Asheville is your connection. Whether you're celebrating 334 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,720 an anniversary, a honeymoon, maybe you want to plan a 335 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,480 memorable proposal, or get family and friends together for a 336 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,960 big old reunion, Cabins of Asheville has the ideal spot 337 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,519 for you where you can reconnect with your loved ones 338 00:18:56,599 --> 00:18:59,839 and the things that truly matter. Nestled within the breathtaking 339 00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:03,720 fourteen thousand acres of the Pisga National Forest, their Cabins 340 00:19:03,799 --> 00:19:06,119 offer a serene escape in the heart of the Blue 341 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,279 Ridge Mountains, centrally located between Asheville and the entrance of 342 00:19:09,279 --> 00:19:12,720 the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It's the perfect balance 343 00:19:12,759 --> 00:19:16,759 of seclusion and proximity to all the local attractions with 344 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:21,279 hot tubs, fireplaces, air conditioning, smart TVs, Wi Fi grills, 345 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,680 outdoor tables and your own private covered porch. Choose from 346 00:19:24,759 --> 00:19:28,920 thirteen cabins, six cottages, two villas, and a great lodge 347 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,599 with eleven king sized bedrooms. Cabins of Ashville has the 348 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:35,960 ideal spot for you for any occasion, and they have 349 00:19:36,039 --> 00:19:39,640 pet friendly accommodations. Call or text eight two eight three 350 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,799 six seven seventy sixty eight or check out all there 351 00:19:42,839 --> 00:19:45,720 is to offer at Cabins Offashville dot com and make 352 00:19:45,799 --> 00:19:47,559 memories that'll last a lifetime. 353 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: I got a peat. 354 00:19:48,799 --> 00:19:52,839 Speaker 2: Mail from Jay who points out layoffs are prevalent across 355 00:19:52,920 --> 00:20:00,240 all sectors except government. Yeah, every industry, All businesses go 356 00:20:00,319 --> 00:20:04,480 through and do this. It's it's necessary. It is necessary 357 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:10,279 to be constantly re examining your personnel. Do we need 358 00:20:10,319 --> 00:20:12,799 this many people to do the work? Has the work 359 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:18,519 changed right? What's the environment now? Technological advances have you know, 360 00:20:18,559 --> 00:20:24,119 made certain things superfluous or duplicative. You don't need it anymore. 361 00:20:24,559 --> 00:20:28,640 So good businesses are always doing this. They're always trying 362 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:33,400 to find ways to save money. That's how you turn 363 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,400 a profit and stay in business, to keep employing all 364 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:41,799 of the other people that remain on the payroll. 365 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,799 Speaker 1: So yes, except for government. 366 00:20:44,839 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 2: When something isn't working in government, it's you know, we 367 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:49,720 need more money and we have to hire more people. 368 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,640 Charlotte Observer had this story about Tommy Tomlinson leaving WFE 369 00:20:56,759 --> 00:21:02,079 to apparently took the buy out and in the piece, 370 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,640 I'm I'm really sure this connection that they attempted to make. 371 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:13,000 Here there's a piece by theod and James. He has 372 00:21:13,039 --> 00:21:18,880 a section in here where he quotes Glenn Berkins, who 373 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:24,240 is the editor and publisher of Q city Metro, and 374 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,880 he says we're not in a very good place. And 375 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:34,720 Q city Metro is a website, right, it's a according 376 00:21:34,759 --> 00:21:37,839 to the Observer, the hyper local news site aimed at 377 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:41,920 a black audience. Black is capitalized because of course, must 378 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:46,920 adopt the left wing narratives. It's aimed at a black audience. 379 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,039 And he used to be a deputy managing editor at 380 00:21:50,079 --> 00:21:55,200 The Charlotte Observer two thousand and eight. Among Berkins' most 381 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,920 daunting challenges right now is one that he has always had, actually, 382 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,359 but one that he says is being exacerbated by broad 383 00:22:03,799 --> 00:22:09,000 anti dei sentiment currently being fostered by the Trump administration. Because, 384 00:22:09,039 --> 00:22:11,519 of course, we must view this through the prism of 385 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:16,119 Donald Trump, he says. Media organizations that serve communities of 386 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:20,400 color struggle all the time, but then you add this 387 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,480 current environment, it just puts us even further in the hole. 388 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:24,279 Speaker 1: He says. 389 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:27,559 Speaker 2: Q City Metro has lost some advertising contracts this year, 390 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:29,880 which has led to budget cuts that have put his 391 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,960 staff down a couple of people. 392 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,279 Speaker 1: He currently has five staffers. 393 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,599 Speaker 2: None of the companies that decline to renew contracts have 394 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,039 come right out and said we're responding to the Trump administration. 395 00:22:41,519 --> 00:22:44,920 They say, we are reevaluating our marketing. Our budgets have 396 00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:48,160 been cut. But it would be a very big coincidence 397 00:22:48,319 --> 00:22:50,039 if that was not a factor at all. 398 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: Is it a coincidence? Though? 399 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 2: Look, I've been in this industry for probably close to 400 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,559 thirty years at this point. That's what they tell us too. 401 00:23:04,599 --> 00:23:09,920 When companies pull their advertising they say we're reevaluating our marketing, 402 00:23:10,799 --> 00:23:14,079 we're cutting our advertising budget, we're making a move over 403 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:18,160 into this other platform. They're always look if you're dealing 404 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,039 directly with the business or if you're dealing with an 405 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:26,480 ad agency, they're always looking for ROI return on investment, 406 00:23:27,559 --> 00:23:31,200 and if you can't deliver them the leads, they're not 407 00:23:31,279 --> 00:23:35,720 going to keep advertising. They don't owe you advertising dollars. 408 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,079 So it's not a matter of it being a very 409 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:44,240 big coincidence. It's a business decision. And by the way, 410 00:23:44,519 --> 00:23:50,039 this is happening all over all over the media landscape. 411 00:23:50,519 --> 00:23:56,240 Money is moving from TV to digital I mean, and 412 00:23:56,279 --> 00:24:01,559 by the way, the highest ROI spoken word formats such 413 00:24:01,559 --> 00:24:06,680 as this right, such as this WBT and podcast now, 414 00:24:07,599 --> 00:24:11,599 which is basically radio. So it's I've said, I've told 415 00:24:11,599 --> 00:24:14,440 this story before that when I launched my own podcast 416 00:24:14,799 --> 00:24:19,559 back in what was it, twenty twenty, and I started 417 00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:24,079 reading a bunch of these podcast industry websites and stuff, 418 00:24:24,079 --> 00:24:25,480 and they were offering advice on you. 419 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: Oh, so you want to start a podcast, here's how 420 00:24:27,279 --> 00:24:27,799 you do it. Whatever. 421 00:24:27,839 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 2: I'm reading through this stuff and it's like everything they're 422 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:35,079 describing is radio. These are the things that you learn 423 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:39,240 in radio, And I said, well, if the podcast doesn't work, 424 00:24:39,279 --> 00:24:41,440 I could just go be a consultant and tell other 425 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,799 people how to do their podcasts right, because what's the 426 00:24:44,799 --> 00:24:47,799 old joke those who can do, those who can't teach, 427 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,519 and those who can't teach consult. So that's where that's 428 00:24:52,519 --> 00:24:55,279 where I thought I would probably make my mark. Now, 429 00:24:55,599 --> 00:24:58,759 Tommy Tomlinson in this piece, it says that he's going 430 00:24:58,799 --> 00:25:01,559 to do some more writing. He may go back into 431 00:25:01,559 --> 00:25:04,200 the audio world someday, but he says if he doesn't, 432 00:25:04,519 --> 00:25:07,960 he'll miss the intimacy that audio has that I think 433 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,200 no other medium really has, in that it really does 434 00:25:11,279 --> 00:25:14,640 feel like a conversation you're having with one person, even 435 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:18,680 if it's going out to potentially thousands of people. That 436 00:25:18,839 --> 00:25:21,920 is correct, and that is the power of the spoken 437 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:27,759 word format. That's why the ROI is so high, because 438 00:25:28,079 --> 00:25:30,160 I am having a conversation with you. 439 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 1: I mean, I can't hear what you're telling me unless 440 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:33,640 you text. 441 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,079 Speaker 2: On the WBT text line driven my liberty view of GMCA, 442 00:25:36,319 --> 00:25:39,240 or you know, you email me or you call or whatever, 443 00:25:39,519 --> 00:25:43,400 then we have a conversation. But when I do the show, 444 00:25:43,519 --> 00:25:46,519 and all good hosts know this, you don't talk to 445 00:25:46,839 --> 00:25:50,759 all the people out there listening, because I'm just talking 446 00:25:50,839 --> 00:25:55,960 to you. That's the intimacy of this format, of this medium. 447 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:58,440 He goes on to say, when you're in front of 448 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:00,839 the mic just speaking into it, it feels like you're 449 00:26:00,839 --> 00:26:03,559 writing a letter to someone you care about and it's 450 00:26:03,799 --> 00:26:05,799 just for them, and you just want them to hear 451 00:26:05,839 --> 00:26:10,200 it and to respond to it. So yeah, as one 452 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:14,119 who has been a consumer of spoken word format since 453 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,920 I was a kid, listening to NPR like that, to 454 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,839 me has always been the power of it. I've been 455 00:26:19,839 --> 00:26:22,319 on the other side of the speaker, so I know 456 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,160 what that connection feels like. And anybody who listened to 457 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,440 Limbaugh knows that too, and Tommy gets it to his credit. 458 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,680 All Right, if you're listening to this show, you know 459 00:26:31,759 --> 00:26:33,759 I try to keep up with all sorts of current events, 460 00:26:33,759 --> 00:26:35,839 and I know you do too. And you've probably heard 461 00:26:35,839 --> 00:26:38,559 me say get your news from multiple sources. 462 00:26:39,039 --> 00:26:39,279 Speaker 3: Why. 463 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 2: Well, because it's how you detect media bias, which is 464 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,559 why I've been so impressed with ground News. It's an 465 00:26:45,599 --> 00:26:48,960 app and it's a website, and it combines news from 466 00:26:49,039 --> 00:26:51,200 around the world in one place, so you can compare 467 00:26:51,279 --> 00:26:54,279 coverage and verify information. You can check it out at 468 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:58,920 check dot ground, dot news slash Pete. I put the 469 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,039 link in the podcast description too. I started using ground 470 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,799 News a few months ago and more recently chose to 471 00:27:04,839 --> 00:27:06,799 work with them as an affiliate because it lets me 472 00:27:06,839 --> 00:27:10,680 see clearly how stories get covered and by whom. The 473 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,680 blind spot feature shows you which stories get ignored by 474 00:27:13,759 --> 00:27:14,960 the left and the right. 475 00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: See for yourself. 476 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 2: Check dot ground, dot news slash Pete. Subscribe through that 477 00:27:20,799 --> 00:27:23,759 link and you'll get fifteen percent off any subscription. I 478 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,200 use the Vantage plan to get unlimited access to every feature. 479 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,160 Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, but it 480 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,359 also supports ground News as they make the media landscape 481 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:37,839 more transparent. This is from Andy, Hey Pete, great show 482 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,480 as always, Thank you, sir. I'm a plumber. I ride 483 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,920 around all day listening to talk radio in between jobs. 484 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:47,240 I stopped listening to the NPR affiliate in town here 485 00:27:47,279 --> 00:27:49,640 a while ago. They are good on the weekends with 486 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,519 some shows on Saturday morning. Otherwise it's so left leaning 487 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,160 that I can't justify the time. Tomlinson was pretty good 488 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:02,720 twenty years ago, but then he's been a shill for 489 00:28:02,759 --> 00:28:05,960 the left Okay. I play a game sometimes where I 490 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,960 tune in to NPR. Usually within thirty seconds someone will 491 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,079 make a DEI related statement or an anti Trump, anti 492 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:16,839 wright statement. It both infuriates me and makes me laugh personally. 493 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,440 If that's the narrative they want to push, that's fine. 494 00:28:19,559 --> 00:28:22,519 I just don't want my tax money going to it. 495 00:28:22,519 --> 00:28:24,960 It speaks volumes that the day to day listener and 496 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,400 supporters aren't willing to finance it. What's all that fundraising for? 497 00:28:28,839 --> 00:28:30,920 Sorry about the long text you sparked the thought I 498 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:31,519 wanted to share it. 499 00:28:31,559 --> 00:28:32,039 Speaker 1: Love what you do. 500 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:35,839 Speaker 2: No, I'm glad you wrote it like that's that's the point. 501 00:28:38,039 --> 00:28:41,720 You can produce whatever content you'all want over there. And 502 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:46,599 Andy is exactly right. I have listened to NPR long 503 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,880 enough to know that all their stories are filtered through 504 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:55,319 the exact same prism. And when you view yourself and 505 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:59,599 all things through this prism, through this oppressed oppressor narrative, 506 00:29:00,039 --> 00:29:03,920 that is the tendency for interpersonal victimhood, that is TIV, 507 00:29:04,119 --> 00:29:08,880 a personality trait or disorder. And once you start thinking 508 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,400 like that, as you think of yourself as the perpetual victim, 509 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,759 then you can never break free of that thinking it 510 00:29:16,839 --> 00:29:22,079 is just a destructive way to go through life. Don't 511 00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:27,359 be a victim. To quote the late Dan Starks. Jonathan Turley. 512 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,519 A couple of weeks ago, we had a piece about 513 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,759 the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that it finally accepted death 514 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,720 over balance. It announced that, with the withdrawal of federal funding, 515 00:29:39,759 --> 00:29:43,759 it would cease operations on September thirtieth. Despite the extraordinary 516 00:29:43,799 --> 00:29:46,359 efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned 517 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:51,319 Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face 518 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,240 the difficult reality of closing our operations. But Turley says 519 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,240 the autopsy will put this cause of death as self inflicted. 520 00:29:58,839 --> 00:30:03,400 For almost sixty Republican presidents and conservative politicians have complained 521 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,400 about the overwhelming liberal bias at the CPB and its 522 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:10,960 supported programs, particularly NPR. For most of those years, the 523 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,839 CPB could shrug off the complaints. The Democrats controlled one 524 00:30:15,039 --> 00:30:17,680 or both houses, or at least the White House. With 525 00:30:17,759 --> 00:30:21,480 the political left solidly behind them, The corporation refused to 526 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:24,960 carry out even modest reforms. It simply gave the stiff 527 00:30:25,079 --> 00:30:28,799 arm to every conservative effort to bring its programming back 528 00:30:28,839 --> 00:30:33,000 to the middle of the political spectrum. I thought it 529 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,000 could still be forced to reform itself, he said. I 530 00:30:36,079 --> 00:30:39,400 opposed the continuation of funding for NPR as a state 531 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:43,680 subsidized media outlet. It was not the pronounced bias of 532 00:30:43,799 --> 00:30:48,400 NPR that I felt justified its termination. The country should 533 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,720 preserve a wall of separation between the government and the media. 534 00:30:52,119 --> 00:30:56,680 That's why Turley was against government funding of this. But 535 00:30:56,759 --> 00:31:01,000 the CPB is different. It funded abroad water array of 536 00:31:01,039 --> 00:31:06,960 programming and could easily have corrected its course. All the 537 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,279 CPB had to do was refocus on programming to appeal 538 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,559 to the greatest cross section of the population, and to 539 00:31:15,759 --> 00:31:19,880 decline to fund media programs like NPR that became more 540 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:24,440 strident and partisan year after year. It seemed that the 541 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:29,799 CPB was trapped within its own echo chambered existence. For them, 542 00:31:30,359 --> 00:31:34,599 he says, the choice was clear between neutrality and nonexistence. 543 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,759 They grabbed a hemlock filled NPR pledge mug and drank deeply, 544 00:31:40,119 --> 00:31:43,640 choosing death over social dishonor. 545 00:31:45,039 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: So. 546 00:31:45,279 --> 00:31:48,319 Speaker 2: This announcement was met with a course of whales and 547 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,359 lamentations from the left, But these are the same people 548 00:31:52,359 --> 00:31:55,079 who preferred this option to reforming the CPP to serve 549 00:31:55,119 --> 00:31:59,160 the greatest number of Americans. They had the opportunity. They 550 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:03,799 could have added shows, They could have put shows on 551 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,559 their network, They could have made shows available that would 552 00:32:07,599 --> 00:32:10,920 have been the what it would have been appealing to 553 00:32:11,039 --> 00:32:14,599 a larger portion of the population. But they couldn't bring 554 00:32:14,599 --> 00:32:15,599 themselves to do it. 555 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: They made it. 556 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:19,759 Speaker 2: NPR made the same choice a few years ago. It 557 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,559 was given the opportunity to select a new CEO who 558 00:32:22,599 --> 00:32:27,799 would represent a serious centrist leadership for the failing news organization. Instead, 559 00:32:28,319 --> 00:32:30,960 the board doubled down on that very bias, and they 560 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,960 picked Catherine Marr, who had a long history of inflammatory 561 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:42,160 political attacks on conservatives and was the very embodiment of activism. CPB, 562 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,400 just a few months ago came forward, could have come 563 00:32:46,039 --> 00:32:50,279 forward with real reforms. Instead, it threatened legal action if 564 00:32:50,359 --> 00:32:54,079 Congress refused to fund them. The irony is NPR is 565 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,720 likely to survive in a reduced form, but CPB is 566 00:32:58,799 --> 00:33:02,079 laying off its entire state in a righteous, indignant huff. 567 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,319 None of these people needed to lose their jobs. If 568 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:08,440 leadership served their organization by listening to views beyond their 569 00:33:08,559 --> 00:33:13,680 own insular circle of enablers, all right, that'll do it 570 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:16,319 for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I 571 00:33:16,359 --> 00:33:18,480 could not do the show without your support and the 572 00:33:18,519 --> 00:33:21,559 support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, so 573 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:23,720 if you'd like, please support them too and tell them 574 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:25,720 you heard it here. You can also become a patron 575 00:33:25,759 --> 00:33:30,000 at my Patreon page or go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, 576 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,799 thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything 577 00:33:32,799 --> 00:33:37,359 while I'm gone.