Latest news with #MisterRogers'Neighborhood
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elmo Hits Trump in Lawsuit Alleging ‘Blatant' Discrimination
President Donald Trump has become persona non grata on Sesame Street as PBS launched a lawsuit to block his federal funding cuts to the broadcaster. PBS and a public TV station in Minnesota filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Washington on Friday, accusing the MAGA president of 'blatant viewpoint discrimination,' the New York Times reported. The suit comes after Trump signed a May 1 executive order axing all funding for PBS and NPR, alleging 'bias' in their reporting. PBS lawyers hit back against Trump in the filing, arguing that the proposed cuts violate laws forbidding the president from serving as the 'arbiter' of its content, which included kids-focused learning shows such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Elmo's World, and Sesame Street, which has since found a new home on Netflix. According to the lawyers, those laws also cover 'attempting to defund PBS.' 'The executive order makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech,' the complaint read. 'That is blatant viewpoint discrimination.' NYT reported that around 16 percent of PBS' $373.4 million annual budget comes in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The nonprofit organization spends over $500 million annually on public media and receives its funding from Congress. According to PBS lawyers, Trump's executive cut would destabilize around 61 percent of the budget it receives from local station dues for its programming. PBS CEO Paula Kerger called Trump's order 'blatantly unlawful.' In a statement, PBS News reported that a spokesman for the broadcaster said it was 'necessary to take legal action to safeguard public television's editorial independence, and to protect the autonomy of PBS member stations.' Similarly, NPR also sued this week to block Trump's executive order, NYT reported.
Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Times
PBS sues Trump to reverse funding cuts
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) sued Donald Trump on Friday (May 30) over the US president's executive order to cut its federal funding, calling it an unconstitutional attack that would 'upend public television.' In a complaint filed in the Washington, DC federal court, PBS and a public TV station in Minnesota said Trump's order violated the US Constitution's First Amendment by making the president the 'arbiter' of programming content, including by attempting to defund PBS. The May 1 order 'makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech,' PBS said. 'That is blatant viewpoint discrimination.' Its programming has included 'Sesame Street,' 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' 'Frontline' and several Ken Burns documentaries including 'The Civil War.' Member stations also broadcast public affairs shows such as 'Washington Week.' Trump's order demanded that the taxpayer-backed Corporation for Public Broadcasting cut federal funding to PBS and NPR, short for National Public Radio. All three entities are nonprofits. PBS said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides 16 per cent of its US$373.4 million annual budget. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up It also said the funding ban would apply to local member stations, which provide 61 per cent of its budget through dues, including millions of dollars in federal funds. In a statement, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was 'creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers' dime. Therefore, the President is exercising his lawful authority to limit funding to NPR and PBS.' NPR filed its own lawsuit on May 27 to block Trump's order. Formed in 1969, PBS has 336 member stations including the plaintiff Lakeland PBS, which serves about 490,000 people in northern and central Minnesota. The executive order was part of Trump's effort to sanction entities he believes are opposed to his political agenda. Trump said that by funding PBS and NPR, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ignored Americans' right to expect that taxpayer dollars going to public broadcasting 'fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage.' The White House separately accused PBS and NPR of using taxpayer money to spread 'radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'' In its complaint, PBS said Trump's order 'smacks of retaliation for, among other things, perceived political slights in news coverage.' The Corporation for Public Broadcasting receives funding from Congress two years in advance, to shield it from political interference. It sued Trump last month after he sought to fire three of its five board members. REUTERS
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
PBS sues Trump over funding cuts
PBS sues Trump over funding cuts PBS said Trump ordered funding cut "because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech." Show Caption Hide Caption President Donald Trump signs order to cut PBS and NPR funding President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop directly funding PBS and NPR. The White House has accused PBS and NPR of using taxpayer dollars to spread "radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'" PBS said Trump's order "smacks of retaliation for... perceived political slights in news coverage." NEW YORK − PBS sued Donald Trump on Friday over the president's order to cut its federal funding, calling it an unprecedented attack that would "upend public television." In a complaint filed in the Washington, D.C. federal court, PBS, short for Public Broadcasting Service, said Trump's May 1 executive order violated the First Amendment of the Constitution by making the president the "arbiter" of its programming content. The order "makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech," PBS said. "That is blatant viewpoint discrimination." More: NPR sues Trump administration over order to end federal funding PBS also said the order illegally blocks member stations from using federal funds to access PBS programming and services, and "smacks of retaliation for, among other things, perceived political slights in news coverage." More: Can I still tune in to PBS and NPR? What to know after Trump's order to cut funding Earlier this month, the White House accused PBS and NPR, short for National Public Radio, of receiving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars annually to spread "radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'" PBS and NPR rely partially on government financial support. The order was part of Trump's effort to sanction entities he believes are opposed to his political agenda. More: President Donald Trump signs order to cut funding for 'partisan' PBS and NPR PBS programming has included Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Frontline, and several Ken Burns documentaries including The Civil War.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PBS sues Trump over funding cuts
(Reuters) -PBS sued Donald Trump on Friday over the U.S. president's order to cut its federal funding, calling it an unprecedented attack that would "upend public television. In a complaint filed in the Washington, D.C. federal court, PBS, short for Public Broadcasting Service, said Trump's May 1 executive order violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by making the president the "arbiter" of its programming content. The order "makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech," PBS said. "That is blatant viewpoint discrimination." PBS also said the order illegally blocks member stations from using federal funds to access PBS programming and services, and "smacks of retaliation for, among other things, perceived political slights in news coverage." Earlier this month, the White House accused PBS and NPR, short for National Public Radio, of receiving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars annually to spread "radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'" PBS and NPR rely partially on government financial support. The order was part of Trump's effort to sanction entities he believes are opposed to his political agenda. PBS programming has included Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Frontline, and several Ken Burns documentaries including The Civil War.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mister Rogers, Sesame Street on PBS teach empathy. Trump wants to take that away.
Growing up in the 1980s, I watched three shows religiously: Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, The Electric Company and Sesame Street − all on Channel 48. I was a PBS kid, and many years later, when I had kids, they were PBS kids. These television programs showed me empathy toward others, exposed me to different cultures, and enlarged my world beyond my Cincinnati neighborhood. They expanded my mind. More: Trump signs executive order that aims to cut funding for PBS and NPR I am a better human because of public television − a medium that the market would never support through advertising and that deserves federal funding. The things PBS taught me are exactly the things that President Donald Trump and his enablers don't want − an enlightened electorate that values and has empathy towards others, and that has an expansive view of the world. They dismiss these things as "woke." They deride enlightenment because they are incapable of seeing the light. Welcome to the new Dark Ages. Sean Suder, Hyde Park This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trump cuts PBS because it educates on empathy | Letter
