PBS once had a variety of shows to cater to kids (Sesame Street et al.) and adults/families with shows such as Nova or In Search of... In later years, the kids had Reading Rainbow and Ghostwriter. Attempts to reboot shows such as Zoom or Electric Company weren't as successful as their original counterparts. Now, what shows in those genres have the unfortunate tendency to embrace contemporary politics and what airs now - whether for kids, families, or adults - has the same cookie-cutter feel in terms of premise, format, and content. Even with PBS having separate digital subchannels for content in my part of Kiwi Land, good shows worth watching feel like the exception and not the norm.
Previously discussed is the paradox of PBS claiming federal funding is a small portion of the budget compared to their corporate funding partners and individual donations (do they still have telethons or local auctions any more?) only to now protest over the loss of Federal funding being their undoing. It's more likely the case that once individuals or entities enjoy suckling from the teat of federal funding, the less willing they become over time to wean themselves when that funding is no longer needed, justifiable, or available.
There's probably still a role for public broadcasting, but it needs to be reimagined and revamped now that traditional TV and radio are not the dominant media as they once were.
