New Report: Cutting Public-Media Funding 'Risks the Collapse of the System'
WASHINGTON — An independent analysis of public media funding requested by Congress has found that "the loss of federal support for public broadcasting risks the collapse of the system.” The public media newspaper Current first reported the study’s findings.
The report, prepared by Booz & Company and delivered to Congress Wednesday by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, examined a series of potential replacements for federal funding, from ads to subscriptions, but found that none offer "a realistic opportunity to generate significant positive net revenue that could replace the current amount of federal funding that CPB receives.”
The report found that cuts in federal funding could:
- Put 130 public radio and television stations, representing communities in almost every state, at "high risk" of shutting down.
- Disproportionally impact “small urban stations, small-market stations, rural stations and stations that serve diverse communities.”
- Create "a cascading debilitating effect" across the entire public media system.
Free Press President and CEO Craig Aaron made the following statement:
“Federal funding provides a critical foundation for public broadcasters across the nation. Budget cuts at the federal level are an assault on local stations, where federal dollars create jobs, support local news and provide access to quality children's programming. Hopefully, this report will help put an end to the political games Congress is playing with public media's future.
"Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support public funding for public media. This new analysis makes it clear that when politicians meddle with the funds for public broadcasting, they threaten to take down the entire system.”
"Public broadcasting needs more federal funding, not less. It's time to stop talking about how to cut this funding for public broadcasting, and to start investing in the world-class public service media our communities need."
