Public broadcasting cuts would hurt rural areas

House Republicans are in for a surprise if they intend to dish some payback to liberal parts of the nation by eliminating federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which conservative politicians have long claimed is a liberal mouthpiece. Small television and radio stations serving rural, politically red areas in California and other states would likely feel the biggest impact of such a move because 70 percent of public broadcasting funds are channeled to local stations.

Well-endowed public broadcasting outlets in more liberal metropolitan areas - such as KQED in San Francisco - probably would be able to survive their share of a $430 million cut that is part of a GOP-sponsored bill trimming $61 billion in spending that passed the House on Feb 19. Only 7.8 percent of KQED's budget comes from the federal government, and the station has enough corporate and foundation donors - not to mention 200,000 members - to be able to absorb the blow better than most. Sixty percent of the station's revenue comes from individuals. That's not the case at KIXE-TV in Redding (CA), where 45 percent of the station's $1.7 million budget comes from federal taxpayers. The station is located in Shasta County, one of the few California counties that supported Republican Sen. John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.