Not everyone on pBS is sad.
Posted on 02/10/2006 8:00:19 PM PST by FreeManDC
Administration renews attack on public broadcasting with funding cuts similar to those rejected by Congress and the American people in June
WASHINGTON – February 6, 2006 – John Lawson, president and CEO of the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), condemned cuts in federal funding for public broadcasting recommended by the Bush Administration earlier today. Lawson said: “By submitting a budget proposal with cuts of this magnitude, the Administration is completely ignoring the will of the American people as they expressed it quite vocally last June. In now renewing the attack on public broadcasting, the Administration is saying the opinions of the American people do not matter.”
The Administration’s budget proposal would rescind more than $100 million in federal funding for public broadcasting over FY2007 and FY2008. Lawson said: “In addition to drastic cuts over the next two years, the budget proposes no federal funding for FY2009. With this tactic, the Administration may be laying the foundation for the elimination of all federal funding for public broadcasting.” The Administration declined to recommend advance funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides grants for local station operations and national programming. Among other things, the practice of advance funding – which has been in place for the past thirty years – protects public broadcasting from political abuse.
The Administration also proposes completely eliminating funding for the highly-successful Ready To Teach program, which provides funding for online resources for teachers seeking quality professional development that is easily accessible, flexible and tailored to local, state and national standards. In another section of the President’s budget, the Administration requests funds to upgrade the skills of tens of thousands of math and science teachers.
The budget also proposes the elimination of targeted grants for the federally-mandated digital conversion of stations, and funding for the satellite interconnection system that distributes PBS and other programming to local public television stations. Lawson said: “It’s not just ironic, it’s sad that the Administration wants to eliminate federal support for local public television’s digital conversion at the same time that Congress has set February 17, 2009 for the end of analog broadcasts.”
Finally, the budget proposes the elimination of the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). As Gulf Coast stations struggled to meet local communications needs in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, PTFP was the only source of emergency federal funding to help. Lawson said: “The decision to eliminate PTFP is a serious blow to a program that played an indispensable role in Gulf Coast recovery. PTFP is essential, as this program is an investment in public broadcasting stations’ physical capital, enabling them to deliver expanded programming and services tailored to the needs of local communities.”
Lawson said: “The cuts, amounting to $157 million, or 30 percent less this year than in FY2006, are devastating. As we did last year, our stations will work together with our supporters across the country to fight these cuts vigorously.” In one bright spot for public television, the Administration proposed level funding for the Ready To Learn program at the Department of Education.
GINGRICH TRIED TO ELIMINATE THE FUNDING, BUT COULD ONLY CUT. IT IS LIKE A VAMPIRE, KEEPS SUCKING BLOOD AFTER YOU DRIVE THE STAKE THRU ITS HEART.
This will be killed in Congress. Not a chance.
Time to cut the DNC's version of Pravda loose.
El Wrongo my friend. The operative word is "elimination."
So instead of 207 channels we'll only have 206. My heart gently weeps.... /sarc
If there so needed-and loved, then selling some commercials to pay for it,Shouldn't be a problem. (good luck-no body listens to that crap) Oh where will Dr. dim bulb Dean get a full hearing?
100% works for me! PBS is liberal and a waste of our tax dollars.
Not everyone on pBS is sad.
Yes!
He's 70% off.
L
Wooooooo Hoooo!! Keep it up W, and maybe we could get ya a 3rd term.
And, invariably, the Senatorial and Congressional wives are "blamed". Which raises a pair of questions:
1. Why would Mrs. Senator give a fig for what happens to PBS? What glorious mission is public broadcasting conducting that makes it so beloved by the fair sex?
2. Why does Mr. Senator listen to what Mrs. Senator says on the subject? Is he not working for us...and not for her?
Does this mean another membership drive this year? I love commercial free PBS, even though they seem to beg for money every 20 mins or so. :-)
When it all boils down to it, Bush is planning on 'cutting' the budget (even though they aren't really cuts) all of 1/2 of 1 percent. That's one half of one percent. That's not a cut, that's pandering to the masses that blindly vote Republican under the mistaken belief Republicans are for limited government.
WTF is this nitwit talking about?
PBS now has a fund-raising foundation, specifically to receive large donations from individuals and corporations.
Here's info about the Cheri Carter, director of the PBS Foundation (I'm SURE she's non-partisan /sarcasm):
"Education: Earned her bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication at the University of Georgia in 1977." (Georgia... Carter... any relation to Jimmuh?)
"Previous employment: Started her career as a Congressional aide, then took fund-raising and public-relations jobs in Florida, was a special-events coordinator and then deputy finance director for the Democratic National Committee, and served as director of external affairs for the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown. She worked in the Office of Public Liaison during part of the Clinton administration, and as the chief operating officer of the 2000 Democratic National Convention. In 2001, Ms. Carter became a fund raiser for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, in Washington."
Time for rejoicing...now the 100,000 + salaries of local PBS affiliate bosses and beggars will have to be lowered.
Thanks again and again President Bush! And make it so.
L
Yes! It ought to be eliminated, but I'll take it.
However given the number of times Republicans promised to do this in the past, then ended up increasing the budget instead, I think I'll hold off on the celebration until it actually happens.
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