Congress to Cut Public Broadcasting Funding!

My mom sent me this info the other day (I wanted to post sooner, but Blogger has been spotty). I'm very dismayed about this as we are big NPR and PBS viewers. Every Spring and Fall we donate to both television and radio pledge drives in an effort to keep public broadcasting on the air. Petition info to follow:

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Everyone expected House Republicans to give up efforts to kill NPR and PBS after a massive public outcry stopped them last year. But they've just voted to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS—unbelievably, starting with programs like "Sesame Street."¹

Public broadcasting would lose nearly a quarter of its federal funding this year. Even worse, all funding would be eliminated in two years—threatening one of the last remaining sources of watchdog journalism.²

Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS again this year:

http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/?id=7967-5489249-Ma.qpvJELA.TFdEiChL4jw&t=2

Last year, over 1 million of us signed the petition, and Congress listened. We can do it again if you pass this message along to any friends, neighbors, or co-workers who count on NPR and PBS for news or children's programming.

This would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting. The Boston Globe reports the cuts "could force the elimination of some popular PBS and NPR programs." NPR's president expects rural public radio stations may be forced to shut down.

The lawmakers who proposed the cuts aren't just trying to save money in the budget—they're trying to decimate any news outlets willing to ask tough questions of those in power. Americans trust public broadcasting more than any corporate news media.³ This is an ideological attack on our free press.

President Bush's budget proposed cuts to NPR and PBS⁴, but Congress is going even further: slashing 23% of this year's public broadcasting budget—$115 million—and denying NPR and PBS any funding in two years. The cuts immediately terminate support for commercial-free children's shows like "Sesame Street," "Clifford," and "Maya and Miguel."

The House and Senate are deciding if public broadcasting will survive, and they need to hear from viewers like you. Sign the petition at:

http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/?id=7967-5489249-Ma.qpvJELA.TFdEiChL4jw&t=3

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Eli, Adam G., Tom, Marika
Thursday, June 8th, 2006

P.S. You can learn more about the threat to public broadcasting from our
friends at Free Press at:

http://www.freepress.net/publicbroadcasting/