A week or so ago I was flipping through the channels, which are pretty limited when you only have a digital antenna, and I stopped on a PBS program. I grew up with PBS because we didn’t have cable when I was a kid.

My daughter, who is now 7 years old, watches PBS when she comes home from school. Until last week, I have never had a single complaint or issue with PBS. However, last Sunday night, as I stopped on PBS, I noticed that a few minutes into the programming it went to commercial. This is technically underwriting because public broadcasting is non-commercial, and one of the spots that aired was a Budweiser/Bud Light spot.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. As if it isn’t bad enough that we somehow differentiate alcohol commercials as not being as harmful as tobacco ads, there it was, plain as day, on public broadcasting. It wasn’t even aired late enough that one could use the argument that children were in bed.

Public broadcasting is supposed to be about growing and nurturing. To me, it’s like saying, “Hey! Grow tall, kids, and then pick up an ice cold beer the second you can.” Coincidentally, this is the related leading factor of death in teenagers.

So are they saying grow tall and then reach for your foamy death? I know public broadcasting is in dire need of funding as their own crisis grows, but to lower the bar far enough to solicit underwriting to an alcohol corporation is rather low in my opinion.

Is that the message we want to send to children? When times get tough, pick up a beer? Hey kids, here is Arthur the friendly little anteater followed by Anheuser-Busch-funded programming.

Until I know for certain that the spot is removed from children’s programming, my daughter will no longer be viewing PBS, a recommendation I will be making to other parents as well. If someone is going to choose to draw the line between right and wrong by differentiating between the airing of tobacco versus alcohol, then the line needs to be drawn right. I can’t blame Obama as much as I want to, because after all it was he who turned tobacco regulation over to the FDA, but still tobacco was banned from television long before.

I may not be able to fight keeping it on cable television, but I most certainly will not roll over and allow it to be inter-mixed with children’s programming.

Shame on you PBS for lowering yourself just to make a buck. I hope next time you think twice before choosing your underwriting on such stupidity as needing money. You have single-handedly crashed your own cart. Good luck finding underwriting now, because I for one would not want to air a spot for my business next to a beer spot on public broadcasting. Way to think business.

Julian Russell is a senior communications studies major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or DENopinions@gmail.com.