Posted on 02/13/2018 8:06:26 AM PST by billorites
The president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) warned Monday of the negative effects that President Trump's proposed budget cuts could have on public broadcasting.
Trump's budget proposes eliminating federal funding for the CPB over a two-year period. The budget has to be approved by Congress before it can take effect.
In a statement released Monday, Patricia Harrison said that the "elimination of funding to CPB would at first devastate, and then ultimately destroy public media's ability to provide early childhood content, life-saving emergency alerts, and public affairs programs."
"Public media benefits all Americans — whether they live in small towns, rural communities, or large urban areas," the statement said.
"Americans rely on public media for high-quality educational and informational programs that are proven to get their children ready to learn, and that provide opportunities for lifelong learning."
Harrison said that federal funding lets the organization continue to "tell America's changing story in a way that enhances civic engagement and connects us to on another."
"We will continue to raise awareness in Congress and the Administration about the valued content and services local public television and radio stations provide to their communities and the vital role federal funding plays in supporting them," Harrison said in the statement.
Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, also issued a statement responding to the proposal to eliminate federal funding for public media.
“Public broadcasting has earned bipartisan Congressional support over the years thanks to the value we provide to taxpayers," Kerger said in the statement.
"PBS, our 350 member stations and our legions of local supporters will continue to remind leaders in Washington of the significant benefits the public receives in return for federal funding."
Kerger said PBS is focused on "providing high-quality content and universal public service to the American people, which is why we enjoy strong support in every region of the country, in both rural and urban areas, and across the political spectrum.”
*sob*
Raise money the old fashioned way: by showing more British Sci-Fi and Comedy.
NOT one thin dime for these left wing jerks.
“Public” broadcasting was suppose to include all of us... not just ‘the left’.
Ask Patricia Harrison if she would support tax payer support of FOXNews and Rush Limbaugh. If she says, ‘no’... then cut the funding to ZERO. If I had my way I would make PBS and NPR pay back the taxpayers for half of what they’ve received over the years...
If this action gets rid of Morning Sedition and All Things Distorted, I'll take the trade.
Public broadcasting is infrastructure that should be included in the federal assets such as the two D.C. area airports, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and G.W. Parkway Trump wants to sell. Let the media market decide on the programming and commercial support. Big Bird wearing a Geico ballcap wouldn’t upset me.
I was in public TV as a technical person that helped getting things on the air and barely lived above poverty level.
Thanksgiving?
With all the fixings.
There is NO Constitutional provision allowing for taxpayer funds to be spent on Public Broadcasting.
What I dislike the most about NPR is its virtue signaling audience members. “I was watching NPR yesterday...” “Did you see that on NPR?”
I watch PBS, but have never listened to NPR. My family enjoys the mini-series as do many people. I like the educational/sewing show(s). If they could keep away from the political propaganda, fake news, and white-guilt shows (Finding Your Roots) they would be good. As of now they are 1/2 brainwashing.
Oh there will be much weeping and wailing over the cuts in spending. But there are other ways to fund PBS, and many of the other expenditures are not needed now, and many were never needed to begin with. Full speed ahead. That which Congress won’t do, end them by EO.
In the early 70s. DC’s Public Radio at American Univ. (88.5) had a little, half hour of bluegrass on Sunday at Midnight. Marketing research showed that that one show represented a tremendous amount of the donations and so the bluegrass show was moved to prime time (3pm) and extended to 3 hours. Even more money came in.
The complaints were long and high-pitched. But the libs shows generated NO money. The lib audiences were small and they refused to donate. Once Public Radio started getting big money from the government, they moved the bluegrass show and others over to the internet and freed up the radio airwaves for politically biased stuff. They even played Diane Rehms TWICE a day.
I say let them sink or swim on the free market.
Tax monies comprise a small percentage of CPB budget. If it can’t get by without that, it needs to fold.
While it is saturated with leftist propaganda, the unconstitutionality of funding it would remain the same if it were totally unbiased or hard right. Doesn’t matter. Not...the...government’s...business.
Yes just waiting for the liberals to claim that Trump wants to kill off big bird.
Remind me again, just how much PBS gets from merchandising just Sesame Street?
Talk about welfare for billionaires.
Stop giving them taxpayers’ money and end the prohibition on CPB and its affiliates receiving money from memorabilia sales.
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