Wal-Mart Funds NPR, PBS & Scholarships

[Scott Fybush]

> According to an article in the NY Times, Wal-mart has
> funded the Tavis Smiley talk show on Public Television
> in California and has become a (sic) sponsor on NPR.

Their underwriting credit has been running on All Things Considered since
at least June and possibly earlier.

I don't speak for public broadcasting as a whole or even for my particular
public broadcaster, but it seems to me that the underwriting credits are
relatively neutral, their money's as green as anyone else's, and if they
want to use public broadcasting underwriting to get their message out,
well, they're hardly alone.

(And I continue to hear reporting on NPR that's critical of the company,
so I don't think the - relatively small - underwriting campaign is having
any effect on the news department, which is as it should be.)

s