[CIBGUY]

Seeing as NPR only represents the Left, why not? The $200,000,000 would be better spent on quelling illegal immigration.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

They'd better not have any more pledge breaks anytime soon. I've been able to listen to NPR in the past because I knew what to expect. Their coverage itself didn't strike me as grossly slanted -- rather, it was what they CHOSE to cover that was slanted. And that's even worse. It allows them to point to journalistic standards in their reporting while laughing off claims of bias.

Which ultimately does more harm? An anti-Semitic underground newspaper or NPR? I argue for the latter. With the former, you know you're hearing a biased story. Those who read it will not likely have their positions changed by reading it -- it's aboveboard propaganda. With the latter you hear selective coverage presented as balanced journalism. Its propaganda is subtle, almost subliminal.

[MarkT]

Can anyone cite with specificity the enumerated power by which Congress spends tax-payer dollars on NPR? I rather suspect not - this is just a minor example of over-reaching (a/k/a unconstitutional spending by the whores in Congress.)

I am attempting, admittedly part-time, to set up a fuoundation that will pursue, initially on the margin, the unconstitutional spending by Congress...it is the only way we can stop the power addicted spendthrifts known as Congressmen.

[dawn53]

If they quit taking money from the federal government, then they could change their name and wouldn't have to continue using the sham name of National Public Radio. They could change their name to reflect their true concerns and be called National Palestinian Radio.

[Spirited]

Doubt Bush would allow it.

[RippleFire]

bump

[garyb]

The article stated that NPR gets about 1% of its budget from the Federal governemnt. Implying that the Kroc donation should more than cover it.

However, that is not the real picture.

In most cases (there are some exceptions) most federal support for public broadcasting goes from Congress to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPB then funds individual STATIONS. Very little of CPB money goes -directly- to NPR (or to PBS)

The individual stations decide which programs to purchase from NPR (or PBS) and then send payment from the station to the network for those programs. (There are additional payments from stations to support the general operation of the network(s) including satellite interconnection)

CPB funding makes up about 20% of the funding for a typical public broadcasting station. And generally speaking, it is just about that same amount that stations end up sending to Washington (NPR) or Alexandria (PBS) for programs.

Perhaps the 200M from Kroc would allow NPR to exist w/out the 1M from CPB, it would not allow stations to exist. (Only one station, KPBS in San Diego received any of the Kroc bequest)

CPB was created to serve as a "heat shield" to protect the editorial integrity of public broadcasting from politicians (read: Nixon) Congress has the same right to fund it as they do any cultural instution such as the Smithsonian, or for that matter school lunches.



Disclosure: I work for University owned public broadcasting stations.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

National Public Radio has been telling us for years that just under 1 percent of its budget comes from the federal government. NPR’s last fiscal year budget was $103 million, which puts its federal subsidy at around $1 million.

That has to be wrong. NPR and CPB must receive more than $1 million per year from the government.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I was thinking exactly the same thing as I read this story in this morning's paper. With that much money in their endowment, they no longer need the taxpayer's teat.

[HIDEK6]

Yes! Just think of all the bombers and tanks that money will buy.

[Chewbacca]

REFUND! REFUND! I WAN'T A REFUND OF MY TAX MONEY!!!!!!

(Yes, I was shouting.)

[gcruse]

Getting rid of established programs seems to take something like a dictator. Since there isn't one around, let's just agree that NPR means Not a Prayer, RJ.

[Tijeras_Slim]

$200 million donation? What the heck is the Kroc family going to do with 4 million "Morning Edition" Coffee mugs?