Supporting PBS

In response to John Paul Arnerich’s justified complaint (Saturday Letters, Aug. 27) about anti-American and pro-Communist programs on KCET public television, Diane Silver (Saturday Letters, Sept. 3) did not attempt to defend the programs; she cited different programs, which are not objectionable. But of course that is no answer at all.

Silver said that we ought to support public television because some programs are good. But we all support public television whether we will or not, for it is subsidized with funds raised from taxes on all of us. Arnerich rightly refuses to volunteer more of his own money lest it be diverted to uses he considers improper.

It is worthy programs such as “Masterpiece Theater” that fire up the good souls that man the phone banks to solicit money for public television; they would never do it to promote the Sandinistas or trash our country.

But the programmers for public television use the good programs as bait to raise money and recruit a viewership that the programmers then take advantage of in order to broadcast propaganda.

Let us hope that public television will improve its programing so as to deserve our support.

RICHARD A. PERKINS

Los Angeles