When Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, he remarked that broadcasting is built on a collection of “miracles”—undersea cables, satellite transmissions—and that its ultimate aim is “to enrich man’s spirit.” He said that the airwaves “belong to all the people” and should be dedicated to the enlightenment of viewers and listeners. To that end, the C.P.B. would direct federal funding to non-commercial educational, cultural, and public-affairs programming across the U.S. “How will man use his miracles?” President Johnson said. “The answer just begins with public broadcasting.”

The Lede

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The modern movement against the C.P.B. has tended to use less lofty la

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