In the United States, PBS has an excellent reputation for high quality programming, presenting

unbiased information, and often the finest in science programming.

But you may have noticed that around pledge break time each year, the opposite takes

over.

It turns into infomercial central, pitching books and tapes by well-known charlatans, making

ridiculous claims that check all the boxes of pure pseudoscience.

Bad science on PBS is coming up next on Skeptoid.

Science Journalism at Skeptoid with your old car.

You're listening to Skeptoid.

I'm Brian Dunning from Skeptoid.com.

Bad science on PBS.

Ever turn on the TV to PBS, expecting to sit down and enjoy some good high quality programming?

But we're met instead with an infomercial, pitching some weird new AG pseudo-siancy,

mind-over-mattery, self-help-y woo.

Despite its reputation for showing only the best in science, cultural, and educational

programs, public broadcasting has long been guilty of lapsing into just the opposite,

especially at very specific time of year, the pledge break.

Today, we're going to find out why.

These pledge breaks are likely to bring you what appears to be a special presentation,

usually a self-help guru in front of a large live studio audience, apparently as part

of the pledge drive.

The guru pitches their particular expertise, while carefully following the PBS requirement

...