Senate Votes to Strip $1.1 Billion From Public Broadcasting in Blow to PBS and NPR
Without public media funding, local stations will close, creating news deserts and allowing political corruption to thrive.
[Variety]
Removing over a billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as the Senate has voted to do, will have the following effects:
- Local public news stations, which disproportionately receive money from the CPB, will shutter.
- More news deserts will be created.
- PBS will be very hard-hit.
- Political corruption will thrive.
The idea that public media is a mouthpiece for “partisan left-wing activism” is ridiculous. It is an independent voice, which may be out of step with the politics of the current administration. But it broadcasts conservative voices and aims to highlight all major sides of the issues it covers.
In addition to news, one of the important things public media does is provide programming that might not be viable on commercial stations. Sesame Street is the canonical example, but every state has programs that highlight local businesses and attractions, covers local culture, and reflects the pulse of regions around the country.
It’s a huge loss. Hopefully there are other ways to make up the shortfall, but patronage from private individuals and foundations isn’t the same thing. These services deserve sustained public funding. This is yet another wound inflicted upon the country that will be felt for years to come.
[Link]
