The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP) has announced that it will close up shop on Sesame Street and other programs after Senate Republicans zeroed out funding for the boondoggle during their markup session on Thursday. 

"Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations," CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a statement. "CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care."

CPB said that it told employees to expect mass firings—most jobs will be cut on Sept. 30, although a skeleton crew will stay on to see to the details of the funerals and burials for Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster. (Actually, it's to deal with music licenses that are set to expire in December.) 

CPB describes itself as "a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967" that is "the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting," on its website. "It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services." 

Harrison said in an April Press release, “Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country." 

Almost none of that is true. CPB recently touted a desperate July 14 poll by Peak Insights (with only 1,000 respondents, rendering it virtually meaningless), claiming in the headline of its press release, "Majority of U.S. Voters Oppose Eliminating Federal Funding for Public Media as the Budget Rescission Deadline Nears." That's true, but just barely. A full 40% don't trust CPB for national news reporting. As for civil discourse, they've got it in spades—but only if you're a coastal elite who agrees with its left-wing worldview. CPB has nothing but disdain for those of us in flyover country who love God, guns, and red meat, yet we've been forced to pay for it with our hard-earned tax dollars since I was four years old. 

It's also been heavily invested in and dedicated to woke ideology, which is the reason it's had a target on its back for years. 

CPB tried to use recent tragic weather events to argue for its existence, claiming that without reams of federal tax dollars shoveled at the public corporation (those two words should never be used together), people wouldn't know where to turn or what to do in the event of an emergency. 

Let's take a little survey: How many of you turn to your local PBS station when there's a tornado warning or flash-flooding in your area? Between weather apps and local news stations, there's no need to rely on government-funded media. There's also no need for the government to fund "Sesame Street" or, my grandson's favorite, "Daniel Tiger." 

With more than 200 streaming services worldwide, shows with mass appeal and branding potential will be just fine. 

This is what Republicans voted for. 

Editor's Note: The CPB continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie.  

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