Since the influence of the Koch Brothers on PBS — PBS! — as Jane Mayer documents in The New Yorker this week, helped, until now, to suppress this film and keep it from airing on PBS, I figure it could use all the exposure possible. So here’s the trailer from Citizen Koch.
Best line belongs to former Republican-turned-independent Presidential candidate (and former LA Governor) Buddy Roemer: “Listen to me, America. They don’t care about you, because you don’t bring a check”…
[Hat-tip Lee Fang.]
Time to stop funding the Koch brothers with tax breaks and drilling incentives etc.
Brendan Fischer of the Center for Media and Democracy added some disturbing context, noting that David Koch sits on the Board of and is a major donor to PBS affiliate WNET.
After airing “Park Avenue,” a documentary that “explored growing income inequality,” the affiliate “took the nearly unprecedented step of airing a disclaimer from Koch…calling it ‘disappointing and divisive.'”
PBS pulled “Citizen Koch” because it feared a loss of funding from David Koch.
If this is what occurs with respect to ostensibly “public” broadcasting, just think of the impact if the Koch brothers acquire the Tribune Co. which owns Los Angeles Times.
Wow. That phrase is really going to stick with me: money is a weapon.
Sign the petition for PBS to air “Citizen Koch”!
https://www.change.org/petition...ch-documentary
Thanks Christine!
I’ve been watching PBS’s “Nova” program with great relish since the 70’s. Nowadays I have to cringe when I see David Koch’s name splashed across the screen at the beginning of each show. I often wonder if the content of the show is being compromised in some way.
The program never suffered before Koch got his filthy fingers in it, but back-in-the-day, PBS was funded with taxpayers money and most people today probably won’t remember that there were no fund drives.
PBS strives to be what television should be and I’m positive the talented people there are sickened by the tainted money coming in. I didn’t know until this story came out that the bad money is indeed influencing the content of OUR television station.
I wonder if the 500 million left to CPB by McDonald’s is causing problems.
This reminds me of Game of Thrones. Those who have money has indeed the power, and they control the world.