APTS to Fight Renewed Efforts to Kill Federal Funds for CPB

Coverage Type: 

Public broadcasters are taking seriously proposals by Republicans to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and will fight such attempts, Association of Public TV Stations (APTS) President John Lawson said. In measures to cut federal costs to pay for Katrina relief, the House Republican Study Committee (RSC) urged slicing $400 million in annual CPB appropriations, which it says would save $1 billion over 5 years and $2.5 billion over 10 years. RSC’s war on CPB funding seems to be a "kind of willful disregard of the fact that public broadcasters are part of the solution to recovery in the Gulf states," Lawson said. "We will be vigilant in ensuring that CPB funding is not singled out." Gulf state Congressional representatives know the "positive impact" public broadcasters are making in the region, he said, "and we are confident that our funding will be protected." Public TV and radio stations in areas hit by Katrina are broadcasting special programming to help children deal with the disaster. They also are distributing educational DVDs and free books at shelters, an plan job training programming and outreach, he said. "So they are definitely playing a very constructive and cost-effective role in recovery." Still, public broadcasters are bracing for some sort of across-the-board cuts in all domestic discretionary spending to pay for Katrina relief, Lawson said, and "we will certainly be willing to do our part." But they will fight any bid to eliminate CPB funding, he added.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Dinesh Kumar]
(Not available online)