NPR Public Broadcasting Faces Budget Cuts

[neildmitchell]

Public Broadcasting Faces Budget Cuts (link)

On NPR's Morning Edition, Nina Tottenberg announced
that if the Supreme Court supports Congress, it will,
in effect, be the end of the National Public Radio
(NPR), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the
Public Broadcasting System (PBS). PBS, NPR and the
arts are facing major cutbacks in funding. In spite of
the efforts of each station to reduce spending costs
and streamline their services, some government
officials believe that the funding currently going to
these programs is too large a portion of funding for
something which is seen as not worthwhile. This is
for anyone who thinks NPR/PBS is a worthwhile
expenditure of $1.12/year of their taxes.

June 21, 2005 · The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board of Directors meets Tuesday and will hear a presentation for the fiscal year 2006 budget. The meeting comes as the CPB's chairman faces critics who say he's injected politics into public broadcasting.

 

[mactastic]

Might as well drop this one in politics right now.

 

[iGary]

200 million dollars from Ray Kroc's wife wasn't enough?

 

[feakbeak]

I would be disappointed to see NPR/PBS go. I'll admit some of the programming definitely leans left, but it is one of the few sectors of the media that actually has intelligent programming on from time to time.

How much money does the goverment provide to them each year? I wouldn't think it'd be that much. I know NPR runs fund-raising drives twice a year. I've been wanting to contribute, I'll have to do that next time it runs. I wonder if they'd be able to run off contributions alone or maybe start mixing in some advertising.

 

[mactastic]

Some leans left, some leans right. All in all it's a pretty balanced view. We're just not used to seeing that.

 

[feakbeak]

Some leans left, some leans right. All in all it's a pretty balanced view.

Fair and Balanced?

 

[mactastic]

Fair and Balanced?

A helluva lot more fair than the people who use THAT slogan!

 

[feakbeak]

A helluva lot more fair than the people who use THAT slogan!

Oh, I agree. I just couldn't resist when you used the term balanced.

 

[joepunk]

How much money does the goverment provide to them each year? I wouldn't think it'd be that much. I know NPR runs fund-raising drives twice a year. I've been wanting to contribute, I'll have to do that next time it runs. I wonder if they'd be able to run off contributions alone or maybe start mixing in some advertising.

Rick Steves' Travel News: Killing the Messenger

"There's a misperception that public broadcasting costs taxpayers a lot of money. Our government currently spends $400 million a year on it, or about $1.50 per year per citizen. (We spend three times that amount every year — $1.2 billion — to subsidize sugar farmers!) In fact, 85% of public broadcasting is funded by donations from people like you, and by underwriting from friendly corporations." - Rick Steves

 

[Sedulous]

In some ways, I would like to see Public Radio break free of federal funding. This way they are totally independent. On the other hand, could Public Radio survive without whatever the feds give them?

 

[mactastic]

In some ways, I would like to see Public Radio break free of federal funding. This way they are totally independent. On the other hand, could Public Radio survive without whatever the feds give them?

Murdoch might be willing to fund them...

 

[Lyle]

On the other hand, could Public Radio survive without whatever the feds give them?

I was wondering if it helps or hurts their cause to advertise the fact that 85% of of public broadcasting is already funded by non-government sources (according to the Rick Steves quote). If the government were footing, say, half of the public broadcasting bill, it would clearly kill off PBS and friends to withdraw all government funding. I don't know, however, what effect a 15% "pay cut" would have on these programs.

 

[Applespider]

Much as many people moan about the UK licence fee, it does make the BBC possible and I'd miss the Beeb dreadfully if it changed into a truly commercial channel. PBS and NPR radio have never had the investment that the BBC has enjoyed so it's harder for them to compete against the commercial channels.

 

[feakbeak]

PBS and NPR radio have never had the investment that the BBC has enjoyed so it's harder for them to compete against the commercial channels.

Although I admit I don't watch much PBS, I listen to NPR fairly often and find it to have the best programming on the US airwaves - sad but true, IMO. Most of the radio stations in this country are complete junk that just repeat a few songs and inundate you with commericals. NPR competes just fine with what's available here in the states.

 

[Thanatoast]

NPR is the only news source in the US. With CNN and Fox News doing 24-hr, crisis-of-the-day coverage, the only place to hear actual *news* (and in-depth at that!) is NPR.

On a tangent note, does anyone here watch Dateline? I thought it was a news show, until I actually saw an episode the other week. They did a 20-minute story about this guy who plays piano, but no one knows who he is. When the commercial break came and I found out what I was watching, I was stunned. I knew second-hand that US news was bad, but to see it myself was a shock. Ugh.

Makes me feel that we deserve whatever crap we fall into. Be it external, or from our own government.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Although I admit I don't watch much PBS, I listen to NPR fairly often and find it to have the best programming on the US airwaves - sad but true, IMO. Most of the radio stations in this country are complete junk that just repeat a few songs and inundate you with commericals. NPR competes just fine with what's available here in the states.

Send them money then. If you do already good for you.

NPR is the only news source in the US. With CNN and Fox News doing 24-hr, crisis-of-the-day coverage, the only place to hear actual *news* (and in-depth at that!) is NPR.

On a tangent note, does anyone here watch Dateline? I thought it was a news show, until I actually saw an episode the other week. They did a 20-minute story about this guy who plays piano, but no one knows who he is. When the commercial break came and I found out what I was watching, I was stunned. I knew second-hand that US news was bad, but to see it myself was a shock. Ugh.

There are lots of other news sources in the US. There are newspapers, most there are usually a few private radio stations that have excellent news coverage. Most of the talk ones do actually every hour in between the shows. 1010 WINS in New York is wall to wall news.

Complaining about the milquetoast, fluffy news on network tv is like criticizing McDonalds for not being cuisine. It is something that is designed to appeal to the masses who want to be entertained and at least feel informed.