The Issue: The success of “Downton Abbey,” and whether it’s cause to end public funding of PBS.
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The editorial “Downton Abbey’s Welfare” (Feb. 16) is rather misleading.
The American taxpayer in no way resembles Cora’s family, bailing out the Granthams and Downton Abbey.
On the contrary, taxpayer dollars to public television amount to $1.35 per American, per year — less than a cup of coffee. And to imply that if PBS aired more successful programs like “Downton Abbey” we would not need federal funds misses the mark.
No one could have predicted the runaway success of “Downton Abbey,” but these successes are rare in public and commercial television. The difference is that commercial television has so much more money that it can create miss after miss until it finds a “hit.”
If Matthew Crawley were to take stock of public television today, I think he’d say it’s a great value and an even greater example of public-private partnerships, leveraging $6 for every federal dollar received.
One of our most esteemed former presidents, Ronald Reagan, thought so, too.
Neal Shapiro
President and CEO
WNET
Manhattan
The residents of Downton Abbey need not be concerned. Lord Obama is always ready to rush to their rescue with taxpayers’ bucks.
Jerome Levenberg
Cedarhurst
Doling out dollars for downton
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