Do It. Save NPR, PBS and other public broadcasting.

We here at the BEAT are big public broadcasting fans, and it's no wonder, considering L.A. has so many great public broadcasting offerings, from KCRW to KPCC to NPR and PBS. But right now there's some legislation about to hit Congress that really threatens the government funding for public broadcasting across the country, and therefore, its survival.

The issue has become political, mainly because the legislation is being introduced and supported by the Republican Party. And some argue that operations like NPR are liberal-leaning, and therefore the people's taxes shouldn't be paying to support someone else's political affiliations.

But it's important to remember that the point of public broadcasting, and its government funding, is to provide content for everyone, because that's its audience -- everyone. And sure, public broadcasting isn't perfect, but that doesn't mean it can't and shouldn't improve. Public broadcasting is a major part of the media landscape -- 170 million Americans connect to it -- and to lose it would mean eliminating an ever-needed neutral and balanced voice in the media.

Check out this great piece by the L.A. Times' Robert Lloyd on the issue, and please do your part and support public broadcasting by signing the petition here.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: NPR