Why is public television getting dumped on? “To some degree, public television has positioned itself for abuse. The charter of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it must adhere to “objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature.” Unfortunately, Americans have little appetite for truly “fair and balanced” coverage. If we did, the News Hour With Jim Lehrer would be a smash hit and Fox News would be banished to the media dustbin.”