Public Broadcasting is becoming less public for a certain class of potential viewers.

I have contributed to my local NPR station twice a year for the past 40 years and also to a few particular shows I really enjoyed. I have been living under the poverty line for that entire time….but would always send $10-$15 when donations are matched by thoughtful donors. Here in Michigan we get a lot of older shows on PBS….they run for a few weeks or months and then they either disappear or a few episodes rerun over and over each week. It would be so great if we could go to the PBS website and continue watching all the other seasons of shows we like. But now, with Passport, a large donation is required. Great for the yuppies and the fabulously wealthy….but what about those of us who are poor? I wish there were exceptions made for the elderly and the poor. Social security for many doesn’t even cover the bills. I feel like I am being excluded from the public domain because of my social status. I have never been in debt and pay my credit bills in full…I simply live simply, frugally and carefully. Public Television and Radio have been a godsend. I guess it couldn’t last. Maybe if the government properly funded public broadcasting like it used to and like it should…it wouldn’t be necessary to ask people to pay. I understand why it is necessary but it leaves a huge segment of the PUBLIC behind. If I were well off…I would not only pay for a passport but I would also gift a passport to someone who would appreciate it like myself, but who can’t afford it themself. I am sure if you made that an option, generous people would contribute to the funding.