Public Broadcasting Funds May Be Halved (bill approved in committee)

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Late Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would reduce next year's federal allocation to public broadcasting by 46%. The measure would cut $100 million from next year's budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the private nonprofit that distributes federal funds to local stations. The CPB funds make up about 15% of public broadcasting revenue.

Money earmarked to help local stations undergo digital conversion and to upgrade PBS' satellite system would also be cut. And funds for public television's "Ready to Learn" programs — shows like "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and "Postcards From Buster" — are on the chopping block.

The full House is expected to take up the bill next week. The measure will get resolved later in the summer, when the House and Senate meet to reconcile budget legislation.

Public broadcasters said the proposed cuts represented the greatest threat to the stability of public television and radio since 1995, when then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich attempted to eliminate federal financing of the system.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cpb17jun17,1,1166164.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[ooglymoogly]

1. kicked and nominated

[Warren Stupidity]

2. My first reaction was 'the bastards' but...

I think this will be good for public radio and television. The less reliant it is on government funding, the more responsive it will be to its listeners and viewers. Non-commercial broadcasting will survive. Without the funding weapon the Cabal will actually have less control over it.

Of course this means that you and I need to ante up on a regular basis. Oh well...

[Tux]

3. Yeah

It's be more like that public corporation BBC which answers to the people and not to gov. Best to have PBS/NPR looking out for us instead of Republican elections.

[Rose Siding]

4. I don't see anything good about this

Rural and minority stations won't be able to cover the cuts, according to the NPR exec.

Wealthy GOPers could influence stations just as easily with private donations. And with a shrinking middle class, I hate to see public funds cut.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. In a perfect world

no strings funding would be the way to go. But what we have instead is a political czar appointed to purge PBS and CPB of the bad libruls and, quite stupidly (what a shock-not) a funding cut as well. We aren't going to have 'no strings funding', at least not until we figure out the Regime Change problem first. So I say, as I said, that reducing the power of PBS/CPB by cutting its funding will reduce the power of the Cabal's henchmen.

I agree that the poorer rural stations may suffer, however quite frankly I'll take that over yet more rightwing bullshit spewing over the airwaves. I disagree about the 'wealthy GOP donors'. I think individual donations are massively progressive sourced. Corporate donations are a problem though.

[madrchsod]

5. cut back on public radio means

more frequencies for right wing christian broadcasting. fundie christian radio is also buying up small market low wattage radio stations across the country. praise the lord and pass the collection plate,jesus needs a new radio station....

[freedom_to_read]

6. Make a stink

This will backfire, IMHO. PBS is not just for lefties, lots of people from all over the political spectrum love it, and will be pissed to see it under attack.

Even Republicans enjoy Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery. Even Republicans park their kids in front of Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow.

When Puke Gingrich tried to go after it in '95, it came back and bit him on the ass; the same will happen with this, I believe.