A "Postcards From Buster" Question For PBS Viewers

[MarianJack]

When I contacted Maine PBS about the shelving of "Sugartime", an episode of "Postcards from Buster" in which he visits a Vermont family where the parents are a lesbian couple, I was told that the episode, while being shelved by the national PBS network, had been delivered to the individual PBS stations by the Boston affiliate that produces the show. The representative of Maine PBS informed me that stations were reviewing the episode and would make their decisions on a station by station basis.

I suppose that they needed to decide what the extent of irreparable damage would be done to the youth of America by hearing a lesbian say "Hi, Buster. Come on in!" (sarcasm button now clicked off)

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I did not see if Maine PBS followed the very blue state values of it's citizens and broadcast the show, because my son has a standing appointment on Wednesdays, when the "Sugartime" episode was scheduled for broadcast.

My question to you "PBS kids" among the DU community is this. Can you tell me if the PBS station in YOUR state or community did actually broadcast this episode. Feedback from fellow Mainers will be VERY appreciated, as well as from the rest of the country.

I will, either this afternoon or tomorrow, be posting a suggested action that we as a community can take against the Department of Education's censoring stance on this episode, as well as PBS's all too easy caving to that bullying. I do, however, need some help from you in the form of letting me know who showed the episode and who didn't.

While this is being framed as a primarily LGBT issue, don't kid yourselves! As Plaid Adder said earlier this week, the Gay/Lesbian community is merely the canary in the coal-mine. This is an issue that relates to the very fundamental First Amendment Issues that the religious right has had at the very top of their hit list for a LONG TIME. This is one reason why my wife and I will always identify ourselves as the heterosexual Roman Catholics we are when we communicate to the powers that be on this issue.

Thank you in advance for all of your feedback.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to stand by and do Nothing. LGBT community, we stand by and with you, and WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

[Hugin]

1. I would do something...

... but, I long ago stopped contributing to PBS.

Didn't like seeing my money go to T. Carlson and
the WSJ editors.

[MarianJack]

3. My Call To Action Will Probably Be Tomorrow,...

...and it's something anybody can do.

I just want to get feedback before I do. I, too, am disturbed to see junior bow-tie getting unrestrained airtime on PBS, as well as the WSJ editors.

[Ryder911]

5. I stopped my contributions as well.

I don't know if this is true or not, but a friend told me that PBS only gets about 20% of its budget from the government. If this is the case, then they should have had the "cajones" to stand up to the Bush administration and appealed to their supporters for more contributions on the grounds that the government was trying to censor their programming. I for one would have gladly doubled or even tripled my annual contributions. Instead, I now give them nothing. They are spineless.

[Cadfael]

2. Apparently WTTW in Chicago aired this

I didn't see it personally, but it's on their schedule and there is a rather robust discussion going on at their message board about this.

So score one for the good guys!

[MarianJack]

4. Thanks, Cadfael!

:toast: :headbang: !

[MarianJack]

6. Maine PBS Planted Their Feet...

...firmly in the air.

Their web-page stated that they would discuss the episode st their Community Advisory Board meeting on April 9, 2005 @ 10:00 AM.

I plan on making my hetero-sexual, Roman Catholic Liberal Democrat support for the LGBT community VERY evident at that time.

[supernova]

7. I can't tell if UNC-TV

is airing it. It lists the show on the basic weekday schedule at 4pm, but not the episode each day. And there's no mention that UNC will be disuccing it either.


So, the answer is, I don't know. NCer's any word on this that you know about?

[MarianJack]

8. Thanks, supernova!

I'll probably start going to individual PBS affiliate websites to check. I think that quite possibly the day of the Superbowl may not have been the best to pose this question. I'll be watching my beloved IGGLES in a couple of hours as they win their first championship since the 1960 season!