Louise Slaughter: “let me start with a quote from Lyndon Johnson: Today we rededicate a part of the airwaves which belong to all the…”

“let me start with a quote from Lyndon Johnson: Today we rededicate a part of the airwaves which belong to all the people,'' a thing we should always remember, ``and we dedicate them for the enlightenment of all the people.'' President Lyndon Johnson spoke these words at the White House ceremony which marked the official creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1967. Much has changed in the 37 years since then, but in the realm of television, Mr. Speaker, a PBS program that reaches millions of families every day has been the only constant. PBS programming is first and foremost about children. At a time when so many television networks are wary of producing educational programming because it will not be cost-effective as they define it, PBS stands alone. They are proud to present wonderful programs that teach children how to read, how to share, and how to be tolerant of others. But PBS is not just for children, it is for minds of all ages that seek to question and learn about our world. PBS has the best documentaries, the best programs about American history and about the new scientific discoveries which are constantly changing our world. There is a reason that Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal, an unabashed conservative, has written that ``At its best, at its most thoughtful and intellectually honest and curious, PBS does the kind of work that no other network in America does or will do.'' Ms. Noonan wrote this because it is true.…”