Doc Searls:

Public broadcasting is the strongest form of broadcasting that’s still left. One reason is that it’s the only form of broadcasting for which its consumers are also its customers. Yes, not all those customers pay, but the market is there. If you donate to public radio or television stations, or to podcasts supported by subscriptions, you are paying for goods and services. You are customers in an open marketplace.

I am a huge fan of the relationship I have with podcast producers allowing me to send them a few bucks each month in exchange for hours of ad-free content which they release on a consistent schedule. With the sharp decline in advertising revenue being directed towards smaller audience niche podcasts, I appreciate the ability to directly support the shows I enjoy.

I found this take to be quite prescient, and the referenced article is a worthwhile read:

…Rural public radio in Alaska (for many locales, the only kind of radio), for example, just got clobbered by the end of CPB funding, which was its major source of income. But listeners can still pay to keep the stations going. That’s why I wrote If you like public broadcasting, be customers, not just consumers. Read it again, if you haven’t already.

With the amount of time members of congress spend unfairly treating CPB like a political football being a thing of the past, I can only hope that listener contributions will help fill in the fiscal gaps so this important institution can flourish in the future.