OT: Now, with Bill Moyers. The best hour on television.

[Jotown]

I have to tell you that this is without a doubt the most provocative, and informative hour on television. http://www.pbs.org/now/ In the last two weeks he has had shows about the new round of FCC de-regulation, the shrinking middle class, finance reform, and the Henry Kissinger appointment. These are stories you just will not see anywhere else. People, all I can tell you is that some real sneaky things are happening everyday, and the major media just do not touch these stories. You have to ask yourself why is that? Who doesn't want this information out there? I watched the show the last couple of weeks and not one person I know had heard anything about these issues. This is not SPAM, it is a public service announcement. You need this information. I urge you to check out the show, or at least read the transcripts. I am sincerely trying to help you be more informed. Check it out.

[Hippie]

Thanks Jotown, I'll have to check it out. Bill Moyers is usually good. -I am suspicious of these journalist/personality types, like Geraldo Rivera, because the two professions seem to be at odds with each other. Bill Moyers seems to be able to do both well. Several years ago, Moyers did an interview and later a VHS release of Joseph Campbell's, 'The Power of Myth' that was one of the best things I've ever seen on TV. You gotta see this thing, they show it on PBS every so often. BTW, tonight on FOX (12-15, 6:00pm eastern), is a 30 year look back on the last Apollo (17) moon mission. Yes, its been 30 years since we last visited the moon. This Apollo stuff just blows me away. Matt

[GZsound]

Too bad Moyers takes public money for profit. Too bad he won't tell the truth about his own for-profit activities at taxpayer expense. Too bad nobody cares.

[Jotown]

[quote]Originally posted by GZsound@hotmail.com: [b]Too bad Moyers takes public money for profit. Too bad he won't tell the truth about his own for-profit activities at taxpayer expense. Too bad nobody cares.[/b][/quote]I care, please enlighten us.

[Jotown]

[quote]Several years ago, Moyers did an interview and later a VHS release of Joseph Campbell's, 'The Power of Myth' that was one of the best things I've ever seen on TV. You gotta see this thing, they show it on PBS every so often. [/quote]Hey Hippie, that is how I first got hip to Bill Moyers. My kids got me the Joseph Campbell/Bill Moyers DVD for my birthday. It is an awesome chunk of information.

[GZsound]

Moyers uses taxpayer money to produce the tapes he sells for profit among other things. It is a topic that has come up on The O'Reilly Factor and after it hit TV, Mr. Moyers took out a full page explanation in some newspaper but refuses to explain on the Factor or anywhere else or release his financial information that would prove he isn't taking advantage of the taxpayers for his own personal benefit. I guess since everybody does it, it's no big deal.

[Jotown]

And which tapes would these be?

[Jotown]

[quote]Originally posted by GZsound@hotmail.com: [b]Moyers uses taxpayer money to produce the tapes he sells for profit among other things. It is a topic that has come up on The O'Reilly Factor and after it hit TV, Mr. Moyers took out a full page explanation in some newspaper but refuses to explain on the Factor or anywhere else or release his financial information that would prove he isn't taking advantage of the taxpayers for his own personal benefit. I guess since everybody does it, it's no big deal.[/b][/quote]Since you don't want to provide any facts I have done some research of my own, just to give you the benefit of the doubt. [b]First> [/b] Bill O'rielly is an ultra-conservative who has made his living as a provocateur for the republican party. He is basically a lower priced version of Rush Limbaugh, hence when he attacks a non-republican for anything one must be suspcicous. He is also a long time critic of Public TV. [b]Second> [/b] Bill Moyers has dedicated his career to Public television, in lieu of making a much more lucrative living with the networks. He has a 30 year history doing provocative, informative, and original work, that would never get made by the networks. The Joseph Campbell series mentioned by a previous poster is just one example. [b]Third> [/b] Bill Moyers has not broken any laws, and is not being accused of any wrongdoing by anyone other than Mr. O'Rielly. It is an obvious smear campaign by an avid conservative against a so-called liberal journalist, who just happens to have a view that is unlike his conservative agenda. [b]Fourth> [/b] The information presented on Bill Moyers Now is of vital importance to all of us right now. These stories just aren't covered by the corporate mainstream media. He should be getting a medal for this work. His piece on the FCC deregulation that is being fought against right now, will have a huge impact on all of us in the music biz. [b]And Finally> [/b] These attacks by Mr. O'Rielly, in his own words, are "just his opinion." They shouldn't be quoted as in any way being factual. Bill O'Rielly said: [quote]Moyers can take out all the expensive advertising he wants, he is just hosing the taxpayers, [b]in my opinion. [/b] [/quote]I get tired of having to do other peoples homework, but I just could not stand by and let you smear someone who IMHO is a national treasure.

[Sexy Bastard]

Jotown on the case! Nice work.

[Dan South]

Bill Moyers served as President Lyndon Johnson's press secretary when the Johnson Administration was pressing hard for (and got passed) the civil rights amendment. That's a credit that Mr. Moyers' detractors can never take away from him, especially slick, profiteering, reactionary, dimwitted jerk-offs like Bill O'Reilly. Bill Moyers has done more for public television than any other individual, and public television is the only television that you can take seriously to bring you the truth without any "spin" whatsoever. - Mr. O'Reilly's show spins so hard that I'm surprise that he's not heaving into a barf bag. - Programs like Frontline and the countless reports and documentaries that Mr. Moyers has produced are examples of the finest in American journalism, journalism that exudes integrity and can afford to do so as it is supported by the contributions of member viewers instead of corporate marketing campaigns. Public television is like this forum - the opinions are real, because they come from and real people and they pertain to topics that interest real people. Network television is like a forum when musicians can say only what record companies and the Clear Channel WANT them to say. Get the picture? Bravo to Bill Moyers for his long career of consistent integrity. Bravo to public television and National Public Radio for proving that American journalism is not a contradition of terms. Bravo to the good people of this forum for having the good sense to distinguish a public benefactor (Moyers) from a public panderer (O'Reilly). And bravo to the American public for supporting avenues of honest, untainted reporting for decades. :thu:

[Wrave]

I too find Mr. Moyers to be one of the most credible correspondents in media today. Since it is now-a-days common practice to put "spin" on anything that comes from commercial news sources, and this includes the White House, you really have to search to find unbiased reporting. Bill Moyers may appear to some to have some bias to some people though. Especially those who don't look any farther than the TV or who are content to let someone else do their thinking for them, to find out what's really going on. As I see the work he does, he feels it his responsibility in this day and age where the news programming is as much involved in the ratings game as the entertainment programming, to report the "hidden" part of the story. The part "spun-out" of the White House report and the part the "in business for the money" commercial stations have to fore-go in defference to their botton line. All of us who care for the truth ought to be strong supporters of Public Broadcasting Stations (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) and give our contributions whenever possible, not just during their pledge drives. I hate to say it but NPR suffered a lot in my area this past year due to our struggling economy and if we don't support them during tough times, then the only news we will get is that which is paid for by the big businesses who we've all learned have so much to hide and the White House who may have even more to hide than business.

[Franknputer]

Personally, I think that avoiding appearing on The O'Reilly Factor shows a lot of intelligence on his part.

[Jotown]

[quote]Originally posted by ChristopherKemp: [b]Personally, I think that avoiding appearing on The O'Reilly Factor shows a lot of intelligence on his part.[/b][/quote]I didn't want to say that, but thank you.

[Franknputer]

It's a little like hoping for a thoughtful interview on the Howard Stern show, minus the lesbians. :D

[Jotown]

I was trying to be serious. It just kills me when any of these guys make statements like that, and then people quote it like the gospel. Reminds me of the Rush Limbaugh comment about the enviromentalists in which he stated the forest's are healthier now due to advances in firefighting technology. I have seen this quoted as fact, even though it is only his opinion. Oh the power of the electronic media.

[Dogfur]

Gotta give it up for Bill Moyers - truly a class act with the track record to prove it. Sad he has to defend himself from a hack like O'Reilly.

[GZsound]

Those interested in Mr. Moyers response to Bill O'Reilly can go to http://truthout.com/docs_02/12.06D.moyers.oreilly.htm. He refutes all the charges against him except one: When accused of using taxpayer funds for his own personal gain, he does not deny it. He states he does make money but it is "miniscule". Hey, he only takes a little money from us.. So, does he gain from taxpayer funding or not? Feel free to read his response and find me where he states that is a false accusation...please. Nice love fest going on here regardless..

[spokenward]

[quote]Originally posted by GZsound@hotmail.com: [b]Nice love fest going on here regardless..[/b][/quote]...and we are supposed to think that that would be a bad thing? two other things that I like about Moyers. He has presented thoughtful and wise programs on death and addiction. [url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/closetohome/home.html]Moyers on Addiction[/url] [url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/onourownterms/]Moyers on Dying[/url]

[Dogfur]

[quote]Originally posted by GZsound@hotmail.com: [b] So, does he gain from taxpayer funding or not? Feel free to read his response and find me where he states that is a false accusation...please [/b][/quote]OK! - quote from Moyers response to O' Reilly accusations: Mr. O'Reilly went on to inform the readers of his column that I own the videos to my programs which are funded by public television and that "[Moyers] sells the videocassettes, keeping the proceeds." Once again he is not telling the truth. Public television rarely funds my work - I raise the money myself, from independent sources-but when it does, as with the case of my weekly series NOW with Bill Moyers (Friday nights at 9 p.m. on Channel 13), PBS owns the distribution rights, the proceeds remain with public television, and my share is miniscule. ( end ) GZsound, it seems really clear that he has provided for the proceeds of PBS funded productions to "remain with public television" ( I am assuming that is the entity "PBS" is unattached to his own coffers, but correct me if you know better ). My guess is his miniscule share is for production expenses, etc... A more telling quote from the same about the nature of this public squabble: As I say, Mr. O'Reilly could have ascertained all of this with just a little homework, but the facts would have cramped his style and the truth seems hardly his intent. He is not even original as a prevaricator. Most of his column is lifted from the work of another David Brock wannabe, Stephen Hayes, who poured out his spleen on me some months ago in that other bastion of Rupert Murdoch's journalistic ethics, The Weekly Standard. Although I refuted the lies and errors in that tirade, Mr. O'Reilly recycles Mr. Hayes' lies but not my refutation. And what's more, Mr. O'Reilly ignores what's on the record.( end ) This all seems to be a hand being played by Murdoch's right-wing media blitz, a cheap shot at PBS from someone who just wants to OWN more control of the masses. You would be best served by the truth, and Moyers has a record of reporting, and objectively analyzing it. O'Reilly has a record for neither. They report, you decide. Best, Dogfur

[Jotown]

[quote]Bill Moyers said: "Although I refuted the lies and errors in that tirade, Mr. O'Reilly recycles Mr. Hayes' lies but not my refutation. And what's more, Mr. O'Reilly ignores what's on the record." This all seems to be a hand being played by Murdoch's right-wing media blitz, a cheap shot at PBS from someone who just wants to OWN more control of the masses. You would be best served by the truth, and Moyers has a record of reporting, and objectively analyzing it. O'Reilly has a record for neither. [/quote]Thanks for posting Mr. Moyers response. The major media groups are owned by a handful of corporations who are only telling us the version of the truth they want us to hear. That is why it is so important that an alternative view be presented. If Bill Moyers was on Network television his Now show would have been canceled by now, just like Bill Maher. I am not saying agree with Bill Moyers. I am saying, for your own good, watch his show.