up next, the public broadcasting act and we will talk with the current president and ceo patricia de stacy harrison. later, medicare and medicaid. first, a news update from c-span radio. >> here's a story from the associated press on the situation in missouri. they write "when racial tensions erupted midway through his first presidential campaign, barack obama came to philadelphia to decry the "racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years." over time, he said such wounds rooted in america's painful history on race can be healed." six years later, the still may summon seems more entrenched than ever as president obama calm andr understanding of ferguson, missouri, struggling to determine what role, if any, the nation's first black president can play diffusing a crisis that has laid bare the profound sense of justice is felt by african-americans across the country." from the associated press. there's international view on the situation also this morning. "the washington post" tweeted earlier that egypt is urging the united states to use restraint in dealing with unrest in ferguson. armed groups in

good morning, patricia de stacy harrison. avid listener, i am geared towards the radio aspect of it. i am at -- have read was there in philadelphia. my point is, i love science friday and listen to them all. the non-political shows are great. all the political shows you have i must say are far left wing. they cover almost every one covers three subject, global warming, racism, and homosexuality. >> host: let's get a response. >> guest: thank you for being an avid listener. npr right now is growing so much they have over 35 million listeners not even counting on line a week. your point that you are making has been made, sometimes continued to be made by another people and for that reason pbc has an ombudsman when people call or they write or e-mail or have a complaint, said a buyer complaint, i won't go into different defuse but they feel that both sides, different sides haven't been represented, we collect those responses and i would advise you to e-mail us and we provide this to congress, provide a report to congress, the om

american version -- >> host: the president and ceo of the corporation for public broadcasting, patricia de stacy harrison, created november 7th, 1967, when president johnson signed into law the public broadcasting act, part of his vision for a so-called great society and that is our focus on washington journal this week. looking at different pieces of legislation. in maryland, democratic column. going ahead. >> caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i love your show, c-span is great. i also love npr and pbs. i remember in 1983 when there was this raucous about trying to demolish pbs public broadcasting and at that time i wrote my congressman please don't try to get rid of public broadcasting. that is crazy, it is free information for everyone. it doesn't matter who you are, you get information about everything. i remember as a child watching the electric company. it would be a national shame to alter president johnson's initiative to help broadcasting for everyone. that is one point. keep up the good work. i am worried about listening lately and the heritage foundation -- won't get into that

for that discussion is the president and ceo of the corporation for public broadcasting patricia de stacy harrison let's begin with what is going on in the 1960's that president johnson feels the need for the public broadcasting act? guest: as we look back at that you're a, so much was erupting. i think it was a very aspirational time. it is interesting to compare today in terms of media with what was going on then. so you had the era where americans are feeling perhaps the focus on education needs to be stronger in a competitive way. then you have the chairman of addressing the association of broadcasters and talking to them as commercial television is failing the country, not focused on education by providing basically what he termed that famous phrase, content that is creating a vast wasteland for americans. so there was this drumbeat. in the meantime, you have the carnegie corporation and networking with educators and also working with educational television broadcasters who really want a system. they want interconnection. butr focused on education, it is very disorganized to a certain extent.