Statement of Public Broadcasters (Budget cuts to NPR/PBS)

CPB ^ | June 19 2003 | staff

[Drango]

For Immediate Release
June 19, 2003

Statement of Public Broadcasters
In Response to the House Labor/HHS Appropriations Mark-up

[Note to editors and reporters: Today, the U.S. House Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Subcommittee agreed to the President’s budget proposal, which provides no new separate funding in FY 04 to public broadcasting for its digital transition or satellite interconnection. Instead, the Subcommittee opted to allow the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to spend up to $100 million (out of its $380 million 2004 general appropriation) to pay for these important priorities. CPB had requested $60 million in FY04 for digital conversion funds and $20 million in interconnection funds, and $410 million for FY 2006.

Further, the Subcommittee approved only $330 million for CPB’s FY 2006 general appropriation, which if enacted would be a $60 million reduction from CPB’s FY 05 level ($390 million) and $80 million below CPB’s request for 2006.

The House Full Committee on Appropriations is expected to mark-up the funding bill on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The Senate Subcommittee has tentatively scheduled their mark-up that same day.]

If enacted, the Subcommittee’s recommendations would be a double blow to public broadcasting. Not only would it fall far short of meeting pressing needs for digital conversion and interconnection, it would reduce federal support by $100 million in fiscal year 2004, resulting in a possible 26 percent cut in operating grants to each of the nation’s more than 1,000 public television and radio stations.

Further, these cuts would hit public broadcasting stations at an already difficult time, when they are eliminating programming and cutting other services due to the weakened economy, cutbacks in state funding, and increasing operating costs. And, they would inflict serious damage on programs and services that are essential to children, parents and educators alike.

We believe that the Administration and the House recognize public broadcasting’s need for federal assistance in the digital conversion and interconnection. These technologies are the backbone of public broadcasting. However, cutting operating funds to pay for equipment needs will seriously compromise our mission to deliver quality educational programming and services to the American public. And, such cuts could literally deny the public any new services which the digital investment is intended to make possible.

We are pleased that the Subcommittee recognizes public broadcasting’s unique needs by providing an advance appropriation. However, the figure proposed would take CPB supported programs back to levels of six years ago.

For 35 years, public broadcasters have met the federal mandate of providing universal service, meaning that every community in America has access to a wealth of independent, non-commercial programming and educational resources, as well as local services that are highly valued by their citizens. This service is deeply threatened by this proposal, as is CPB’s investment in new national programming for TV and radio. Given the debate over media consolidation, this is an especially unfortunate time to undermine public broadcasting, the last locally-controlled media in many American communities.

The federal budget process requires difficult choices. Public broadcasters will continue to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure that millions of Americans receive the quality educational public broadcasting services upon which they rely. That is our mission.
###

Robert T. Coonrod, President and CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Kevin Klose, President and CEO, National Public Radio
John Lawson, President and CEO, Association of Public Television Stations
Pat Mitchell, President and CEO, Public Broadcasting Service

[Drango]

26%...This is a good start...However, when it reaches the Senate, Ted Stevens will add the money back in.

[cake_crumb]

Only 26%? Darn...I was hoping for 100%.

[gcruse]

Same old Democrat crap. The didn't get the increases they wanted, so they call it a cut in spending. I'm surprised they didn't hire David Bonior to be a spokesterrier on this.

[gunnedah]

95% of all public broadcasting is a left reaching faction of the Democrat Party. Nothing but a brainwashing organization for the DOPES who will listen and fall for their garbage.

[Drango]

PING *NPR/PBS*

This ping list is under revision and your name will drop off unless you request to stay on...To opt on my *NPR/PBS* ping list please Freep mail me or bump the thread, indicating your desire to stay on. The Ping list is low-to-moderate activity, meaning about one ping a week.

[MistrX]

Three Hundred and Eighty Million Dollars???!!! Think of the cruise missiles that would pay for.

[upchuck]

If enacted, the Subcommittee’s recommendations would be a double blow to public broadcasting.

HALLELUJAH!!

'bout damned time.

Let the Corporation for PUBLIC Broadcasting be supported by the public.

It toasts my Cheerios every time I see some leftest spew program on PBS and think that I involuntarily helped pay for it.

[Bill Davis FR]

LET THE MEMBERSHIP PAY...FREE THE TAXPAYERS

[Drango]

The House Full Committee on Appropriations is expected to mark-up the funding bill on Wednesday, June 25, 2003

Here is the full committee list. *IF* live in the district of one of the congress critters, you can send 'em a note or email...

Committee Membership

C.W. Bill Young, Florida, Chairman

Ralph Regula, Ohio	David R. Obey, Wisconsin
Jerry Lewis, California	John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania
Harold Rogers, Kentucky	Norman D. Dicks, Washington
Frank R. Wolf, Virginia	Martin Olav Sabo, Minnesota
Jim Kolbe, Arizona	Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland
James Walsh, New York	Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia
Charles H. Taylor, North Carolina	Marcy Kaptur, Ohio
David L. Hobson, Ohio	Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana
Ernest J. Istook, Jr., Oklahoma	Nita M. Lowey, New York
Henry Bonilla, Texas	José E. Serrano, New York
Joe Knollenberg, Michigan	Rosa L. DeLauro, Connecticut
Jack Kingston, Georgia	James P. Moran, Virginia
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, New Jersey	John W. Olver, Massachusetts
Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi	Ed Pastor, Arizona
George R. Nethercutt, Jr., Washington	David E. Price, North Carolina
Randy "Duke" Cunningham, California	Chet Edwards, Texas
Todd Tiahrt, Kansas	Robert E. "Bud" Cramer, Jr., Alabama
Zach Wamp, Tennessee	Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island
Tom Latham, Iowa	James E. Clyburn, South Carolina
Anne Northup, Kentucky	Maurice D. Hinchey, New York
Robert Aderholt, Alabama	Lucille Roybal-Allard, California
Jo Ann Emerson, Missouri	Sam Farr, California
Kay Granger, Texas	Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Illinois
John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania	Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Michigan
Virgil Goode, Virginia	Allen Boyd, Florida
John Doolittle, California	Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania
Ray LaHood, Illinois	Steven R. Rothman, New Jersey
John Sweeney, New York	Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Georgia
David Vitter, Louisiana	Marion Berry, Arkansas
Don Sherwood, Pennsylvania
Dave Weldon, Florida
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho
John Abney Culberson, Texas
Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois
Ander Crenshaw, Florida

 

[Lazamataz]

Hey Drango,

Please de-list me from the NPR ping list,

Thanks

[Digger]

They just can't slay the dragon. ..and with your money. Thanks to the "Two-Party Cartel".

[McGavin999]

And, they would inflict serious damage on programs and services that are essential to children, parents and educators alike.

What essential services? There are a hundred gazillion stations out there who would pick up anything that the public thought was really essential. @6% is a good start, the cuts should continue at the same rate for the next couple of years.

[hattend]

Further, these cuts would hit public broadcasting stations at an already difficult time, when they are eliminating programming and cutting other services due to the weakened economy, cutbacks in state funding, and increasing operating costs. And, they would inflict serious damage on programs and services that are essential to children, parents and educators alike.

Based on what I see in toy stores, let Big Bird and the rest of Sesame Street make up the difference. Where do the profits from that show go? Henson Company? Maybe PBS should get a bigger cut.

[Let's Roll]

"... inflict serious damage on programs and services that are essential to children, parents and educators alike."

Essential? Give me a friggin' break.

[RippleFire]

bump

[jagrmeister]

The liberal drivel disseminated by PBS is non-essential and redundant. People can be exposed to the same kind of biased coverage on CBS or ABC. Same goes for NPR. If the GOP is willing to cut spending for these sacred cows, good for them. They also cut another feel-good but inefficient program in Americorps. Every dollar saved here can go straight to working families.

[Howlin]

Let Big Bird pay.

[Eva]

bump to stay on list.

[Eva]

I agree, 26% cut is not enough.

[cake_crumb]

"Let Big Bird pay"

...And Elmo. That Singing Elmo is a hot seller. He only plays 2 songs...but my oldest grandson loves him. Makes him play CONSTANTLY! (yikes)

[Howlin]

Bill Moyers and his son can chip in some, too.

[cloud8]

If PBS doesn't get the funding to go digital, it's not going to kill Big Bird. The article is signed by these public tv liberal media bigwigs:

Robert T. Coonrod, President and CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Appointed to current position by CPB board (which in turn is appointed by potus for 6-yr terms) in 1998 during clinton administration. Was CPB VP and COO since '92 [talk about entrenched!]. While known as cost cutter, he and cpb "encourage partnerships between public broadcasters and community institutions in an effort to address the goals of education, diversity and an agenda to help position public broadcasting for the future [I'll bet he has an agenda.]" Joined the USIA right out of college (1967) and oversaw VOA & office of Cuban broadcasting [which some say had turned into a tool of the clinton State Department].

Kevin Klose, President and CEO, National Public Radio
Came to NPR in 1998 during clinton adm. He spent 25 years as a reporter and editor at the Washington Post. "Radically downsized" Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe [fits in with Coonrod's VOA and Cuban operations above]. Harvard grad & Woodrow Wilson fellow.

John Lawson, President and CEO, Association of Public Television Stations
Joined APTS in 2001. As far as I can see, this organization is strictly a lobbying group to which public tv stations belong. Lawson's "priorities include digital conversion, an expanded role for public television in education, use of DTV datacasting for homeland security, and universal access to public television through all distribution technologies. During Lawson's first year as president of APTS, public broadcasting persuaded Congress to approve the first federal funds specifically targeted for the digital conversion of stations [i.e., he's the bag man: give us digital or children's programming goes down the tubes]."

Pat Mitchell, President and CEO, Public Broadcasting Service
Came to PBS in 2000 as CEO. The bio doesn't say who hired her. 25 years producing tv beginning in Boston, but was a big shot at CNN: "Prior to her current role, Pat was president of Time Warner's CNN Productions and Time Inc. Television, where she was responsible for developing, commissioning and supervising original, nonfiction programming projects for CNN, TBS and other Turner and Time Warner networks and businesses...."

...only a start. Drango you might bump this post to your NPR list. My take is that public broadcasting is one of the biggest liberal scams of the last 50 years. --Bill

[liberalnot]

ditto.

i never understood why the government needs to support the media, least of all, liberal-left media.

i grew up on a farm and consequently i don't like their snooty, over-bearing voices.

[whereasandsoforth]

Let Babs "I don't need a tax cut" Streisand round up all her Hollywood cronnies and hold a massive fund-raiser. They should be able to fund the whole operation out-of-pocket. No need to get the federal gov'ment involved.

[cake_crumb]

I'm still trying to figure out WHY they believe the taxpayer should continue to fund them for to help our fellow "americans" and the rest of the world HATE us.

Every other channel in this country has to make it one their own. Why not them? The left gripes that the tax cut is fiscally unresponsible and the government can't afford to "pay" for it...well, dropping these two useless broadcasters will help "pay" for our tax cut.

[cake_crumb]

"i grew up on a farm and consequently i don't like their snooty, over-bearing voices."

I don't either. Even Sesame Street is overbearingly PC and sometimes out of touch with kids. I have Sesame Street radio in my favorites folder. While they do play some real childrens' music, I can honestly say my 14 month old grandson gets seriously irritated when they jump from the Itsy Bitsy Spider to some R&B song about all of us playing together in happy happy land. Most of the songs are truely awful and have NO appeal at all to preschoolers. Sure he likes some rock...so all we have to do is turn on the radio to our favorite station. Much better quality music. Sesame Street-ised modern stuff is REALLY crappy...and WE pay for this!

[DPB101]

This explains the guy I saw by the side of the road today with a sign which said:

"Will Sneer At You With A Fake British Accent For Food"

[Drango]

Pat Mitchell, President and CEO, Public Broadcasting Service

From our friends at http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/4/26/152220.shtml

---

A Liberal Boss For Liberal PBS

Phil Brennan
Friday, April 27, 2001

The ultra-liberal Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has a new boss, and the head of the tax-funded network is a perfect choice for the left-leaning network – she's a certified member of America's ultra-liberal elite.

Pat Mitchell, PBS head since March of last year, pals around with the likes of global socialist and environmental activist Mikhail Gorbachev, Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and many other prominent liberals.

Mitchell's leftist credentials are impressive. The new PBS honcho, for example, is a member of the founding board of the Global Green USA organization. Global Green is an affiliate of Gorbachev's globalist environmentalist Green Cross International, which seeks to create an international authority to usurp national sovereignty over the world's natural resources, determine the land use practices of governments and in general impose a socialist order on the world.

The preamble to the Earth Charter, a radical program of Green Cross International backed by Global Green USA, begins with this alarming statement: "The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living."

She also sits on the board of trustees of the Sundance Institute and is especially proud of her role in producing one of the most distorted historical documentaries on the Cold War.

As the co-producer of CNN's controversial Cold War series, Mitchell shares the blame for airing a documentary that trumpeted Ted Turner's perverted view of the struggle between the Free World and what Ronald Reagan called the Evil Empire as a conflict in which there was no villain, just a pair of equally contentious rivals.

Tapes of the distorted series were sent to schools all across the nation where schoolchildren are exposed to a false view of one of humanity's most desperate conflicts.

Here is some of what the Washington Times wrote about the series: "From Jacob Heilbrun in the New Republic to Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post to Arnold Beichman in the Washington Times and the Weekly Standard, the series was roundly criticized as an exercise in historical distortion and moral equivalence. ... Before Mr. Turner succeeds in permeating the national psyche with his perspective, it is therefore of the greatest importance that counterbalancing arguments be given due attention.

"Many of these articles can now be found in the best antidote there is to Turnerized world history: the volume, CNN's Cold War Documentary: Issues and Controversy edited by Mr. Beichman, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and a columnist for this newspaper. (Published by the Hoover Institution Press.)

"It ought to accompany every set of Mr. Turner's 24 tapes that goes into American classrooms," Mr. Beichman writes.

"... I hope that our book will be read by school boards, school principals, teachers, especially high-school teachers, as demonstrating that the Cold War was not merely a struggle between a pair of equally demented gorillas whose snarls and wild swings endangered world peace. In the Cold War, the enemy of freedom was Communism, despite its propaganda claims to be idealism in action, a claim that the Turner-Isaacs documentary and textbook appear at times to accept as valid. ..."

Early in her tenure as head of the 347-station PBS empire, it was revealed that some of the top PBS member stations, which compile huge donor lists, had shared those lists with the Democratic Party, enabling them to tap into a roster of proven givers, many of whom share Mitchell's liberal views.

Those who hoped that PBS might discover the error of their liberal ways have little hope that they'll get their way as long as Mitchell is at the helm.

[The Shrew]

Ping to put Big Bird on the unemployment line!

Regards,

TS

[WorkingClassFilth]

Bump!

Keep me on the 'I hate PBS/NPR' ping list, please!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Keep me on the 'I hate PBS/NPR' ping list, please!

[WorkingClassFilth]

Personally, I can hardly wait to hear the next fund raiser crying and pleading...

---

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - MALE: "Where else are you going to hear the fine programing you've come to expect from NPR and your affiliate stations? The time is now, to pick up that phone and show your support!"

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - FEMALE: "That's right, people. When you want news, where do you turn your dial? When you want entertainment, where do you turn your dial? Some of you, though, just come here week after week and enjoy the high-quality programming we all enjoy but you still haven't stepped up to the plate to help. Pick-up the phone and start doing your part today!"

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - ETHNIC MALE: "You make a good point, [name], too many people take what we do every day for granted and never put up there fair share. I mean, we work hard day after day and we pay taxes and all the other bills all of you pay too. Still, some of you don't care enough to go above and beyond and show your support."

NPR AFFILIATE - FEMALE: "I hear ya! The funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is only a small portion of our needs. We have bills too. Our buildings don't have the latest technology and we want to lead the world in having all-digital-all-the-time facilities. Our staff budget grows every year and at the same time there are those in government that want to cut our budget! Imagine that! Come on, people! Get out those wallets and give us a call! To show how much we appreciate you donation, you can get all sorts of nifty premiums..."

NRP AFFILIATE HOST - MALE: "You got that right [name]! For our lowest support catagory, the 'Silver Comrade', we'll send you a thank you and a post card showing all of us at our Colorado ski retreat last winter. For the next level, the 'Golden Comrade' you'll also get a bottle of Chardonay from the Winery of Defrocked Priests in San Francisco. For the highest level, you'll get all of the stuff the others are getting, but you'll also get a top security clearances for any kind of sensitive military information you might desire. Oh wait, that was the offer we gave out under the Clinton administration..."

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - ETHNIC MALE: "Look, let's cut to the chase. We need money. You've got money. We'll get it now, voluntarily, or we'll get it later with a pair of pliers when we get back in power. You wine-sipping liberals better get out your plastic, NOW!"

[Public Service Announcement]

[The studio microphones come back up...]

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - FEMALE: Well, [name], there certainly has been a lot of excitement here today. Oh, wait! The phones are ringing..."

[The sound of subdued chatter and the ring of a single phone is heard. An operator has picked up the phone and can be heard, indistinctly, speaking to someone…]

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - MALE: "The staff is excited today like I can't remember when, [name]! But excitement isn't enough! We need you support like never before. The talk has even been that some of our staff may face layoffs if your support dollars are enough to make up the difference between what we demand, er, ask of government funding and what we are spending. Like you, I have two new SUV's to pay for and my family just bought a vacation home in Vail. We all have obligations, but some of us are doing something about fighting for the world view we want to rule in the generations to come. Won't you please, please, please pick-up that phone and give us a call?"

NPR AFFILIATE HOST - FEMALE: "What did the caller say, [name of operator]?"

OPERATOR: "Nothing. It was a wrong number…"

[There is a long silence.]

[Music plays and a voice intones: 'Please Stand by…']

[Drango]

LOL...Typically during pledge week I phone in and donate $0.01 . If I'm real lucky the volunteer will debate me. If I'm super lucky, a station employee will get on the phone and ask me what the problem is and I politely explain that I object to their liberal bias. I ask 'em when they broadcast shows that represent the "balance" they purport to provide.(I sooooooo have to get a life)

[Valin]

A $100 million here, a $100 million there, next thing you know you're talking real money.

[philman_36]

There ought to be a whole bunch of "specials" scheduled for begging "funding" to continue broadcasting.

Send us some money so that we can continue brainwashing entertaining you...Without your help we couldn't continue indoctrinating entertaining you.
And look at the programming we've got in store for you this week! Our "Specials" are just the kind of quality entertainment that you can expect from us here at ??? Public Broadcasting (though you'll only get to see such "Specials" during begging "funding" promotions).
Be sure to tune in during the next year for our begging funding "Specials".
We now return you to your regularly scheduled bias programming.

Some things are better left unsaid.

P.S...This in no manner reflects on the donation drives here at FR, so don't anyone get in a tizzy. Our donations are gifts and aren't expected as they are at public broadcast stations. Americans are made to feel obligated to keep those stations going when Americans have no obligation whatsoever to do so.

[philman_36]

...every community in America has access to a wealth of independent, non-commercial programming and educational resources, as well as local services that are highly valued by their citizens.
A real headache came over me upon reading that causing the preceding rant. Pardon my rant.

[jwalsh07]

Cut it all.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Ping!

[Constitution Day]

BUMP!

[Bigg Red]

Please keep me on your ping list.

Thanks

[Bigg Red]

cutting operating funds to pay for equipment needs will seriously compromise our mission to deliver quality educational programming and services DNC propaganda to the American public.

&&&

Typical Rats-- calling it a cut when they just did not get the increase they wanted.

[Fresh Wind]

To be fair and balanced, there is at least one NPR station which is virtually free of the relentless leftist political bias that plagues the rest of them. That station is WWFM (http://www.wwfm.org/) which is 100% classical music, with only occasional 5 minute news breaks (which can be ignored, for all practical purposes). I wouldn't doubt most of the staffers are leftists, but they keep it to themselves, which is fine with me.

[m1911]

Far be it from me to support CPB, but the first two paragraphs look like this is in fact an actual cut in funding.

It claims that the FY 2004 budget is $380 million, and the already approved 2005 budget is $390 million. Now, in addition to not adding the $80 million CPB wanted for digital, they set the 2006 budget at $330 million. That's a real cut from the previous years level, not just a reduction in the amount of increase.

Cool.

[Fresh Wind]

The URL is http://www.wwfm.org/ (sorry, the FR auto-HTML absorbed the closing parenthesis).

[Drango]

there is at least one NPR station which is virtually free of the relentless leftist political bias that plagues the rest of them.

Good...however, there is still no reason *I* should be forced to pay for it.

[wattsmag2]

100%? Hell, make em pay pack some of the money they've wasted. Give em a 110% cut.

[Drango]

look like this is in fact an actual cut in funding.

Yeah but this *maybe* cut of 26% won't happen IMHO. Normally staunch Republicans like Zack Wamp and George Nethercutt who sit on the appropriations committee, ALSO sit on the Friends of "Public Broadcasting" collective. Go figure...

Wamp is a founding member of the Public Broadcasting Caucus Group! (see my home page for a full list...)

[gcruse]

Well, that is good news. I am happy to be corrected.

[Bigg Red]

...first two paragraphs look like this is in fact an actual cut in funding.


You are correct. So much for my skimming....

[razorback-bert]

Keep me on the death wish watch list.