Milwaukee's Shepherd-Express on CPB funding

The Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee has voted to cut public broadcasting’s federal appropriation by 25% during its next annual funding cycle. What’s more, they want to end this subsidy entirely the following year.

Let’s hope this effort succeeds. If so, it will spell the end to more than three decades of public TV and radio’s groveling every time the GOP has attempted to silence PBS and NPR with threats of financial penalties for daring to carry anything that questions its reactionary agenda."

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"Currently 26% of public broadcasting’s revenues come from its viewers and listeners, a group that, with its almost proprietary regard for these services, has consistently increased donations whenever these media faced financial threats. Thus, it’s not unrealistic to anticipate a pledge increase of, say, a third if funding appeals explain that rejecting federal money is the only way to maintain independence. Foundations, always generous contributors, would certainly come through with a few years of increased grants to partially cover shortfalls. More aggressive pursuit of corporate funds with proper insulations against “strings attached” underwriting is another potential source. And finally, a successful effort to establish a large endowment could generate hundreds of millions in yearly operating income. (This last proposal will be the most difficult to achieve, given the size of the endowment that would be required. But there is already a precedent in the quarter-billion-dollar gift to NPR that Joan Kroc, the widow of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, established in her will.)

A temporarily tight budget for the next few years is a small price for public broadcasting to pay to finally become a truly independent media force."