Press Release
Free Press: Public Media Cuts Not the Answer to Deficit Reduction
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON – The National Commission for Fiscal Responsibility and Reform today issued its draft recommendations for reducing the national deficit. Those recommendations call for the elimination of all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the organization that provides funds to PBS, NPR and hundreds of local outlets around the country.
Free Press President Josh Silver made the following statement:
“Foreclosing on Sesame Street is not the answer to reducing our national deficit. It is inconceivable at a time when commercial news is dominated by five-second soundbytes, yelling pundits and little actual journalism, that this commission would consider eliminating funding to one of the few remaining sources of enterprise journalism and educational programming. PBS and NPR are the most trusted media brands in America — and clearly the benefits of noncommercial media warrant more public investment, not less.
“The United States already has among the lowest funded public media systems in the developed world, at just $1.43 per capita. But the low levels of funding are made worse by a flawed annual appropriations process that leaves public media timid and at the mercy of fickle politicians. It's far past time for the creation of a public media trust fund that can protect programmers from undue political pressure and financial uncertainty, and can support the production of more high-quality noncommercial news, and educational and cultural programming.”
Free Press President Josh Silver made the following statement:
“Foreclosing on Sesame Street is not the answer to reducing our national deficit. It is inconceivable at a time when commercial news is dominated by five-second soundbytes, yelling pundits and little actual journalism, that this commission would consider eliminating funding to one of the few remaining sources of enterprise journalism and educational programming. PBS and NPR are the most trusted media brands in America — and clearly the benefits of noncommercial media warrant more public investment, not less.
“The United States already has among the lowest funded public media systems in the developed world, at just $1.43 per capita. But the low levels of funding are made worse by a flawed annual appropriations process that leaves public media timid and at the mercy of fickle politicians. It's far past time for the creation of a public media trust fund that can protect programmers from undue political pressure and financial uncertainty, and can support the production of more high-quality noncommercial news, and educational and cultural programming.”
