Viewers Like Us

“You’ve gotta respect the incredible amount of hustle that independents bring, that our communities bring, that is defined inside of the history in public broadcasting. There’s been a lot of hustle. That hustle’s not going away.”
– Joaquin Alvarado

“The worst thing that can happen is that [young makers] stop. That’s what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to scare folks into not creating, not sharing their voices, not telling our stories. And that’s not acceptable. We’re not going back.” – Leslie Fields-Cruz

“Being able to give people things to discuss, to have an honest and intelligent discussion, is important. Dialogue leads to action, and we can’t lose that.” – Erika Dilday

“Making some noise can make a difference, and I hope that would be encouraging to people who are afraid, especially in this political climate.” – Jane M. Wagner

“The idea of preemptively censoring, before any executive order or decision — not only do you feel violated, but I felt I could not go to any institution for potential protection or support for my independent voice.” – Michèle Stephenson

“I don’t know if there’s anything in history that we’ve ever seen in civic life [like] what we’re seeing. But I do know, like Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, we have to speak up…we have to be willing to put ourselves on the line. At the very least, I get to use my voice and put some things on the line.”
– Chris Hastings, president and chief executive officer of WXXI Public Media in Rochester, NY; former executive producer and editor-in-chief of GBH’s WORLD Channel in Boston

“I’m talking about it because I think it’s important for people to know the little ‘death by a thousand cuts’ that are happening. I don’t think that appeasement is the way to maintain our free speech rights and our democracy.” – Alicia Sams

In the United States, there’s a “public” element to all broadcasting over the federally regulated airwaves. Audiences have the right to speak up about the changes we expect on the air.

Season 1 of Viewers Like Us concludes, but the push for a public media that includes and serves the entire American public is far from over.

In the decades-long struggle toward an equitable public media system, what will it take to move from mere talk to actionable change?