Save Public Broadcasting (a rational approach)

We've all seen that damn "Save Public Broadcasting and Sesame Street" e-mail that's been floating around for years - usually sent by the same jackass who thinks Bill Gates will give them a hundred bucks for nothing. But last week, a proposal surfaced in the House of Representatives seeking to cut federal funding for public broadcasting by 45%.

Now is the time for right-minded citizens to take action. I strongly recommend checking the website of your local NPR affiliate and doing whatever they suggest. KPCC, my own local station, suggests the old write your Congressman routine. They provide a sample letter and a link to find your Representative, so even if you're outside of SoCal you might want to check it out.

There are several petitions floating around, but given the history of fraudulent "Save Sesame Street" spam, I recommend against signing these. If you are devoted to the petition approach, the most legitimate option I'm aware of comes from MoveOn.org.

While I realize it's not in the spirit of a rally, I think it's important to bring some clarity to this issue of federal funding for public broadcasting. Proponents of cuts to federal funding point out that Washington provides only 15% of the total budget for public radio and television. So despite what certain e-mails might say, the proposed cuts would be unlikely to send Big Bird and Ira Glass directly to the unemployment line. But that doesn't mean the cuts are justified or that nobody would be adversely effected.

Broadcasters in small markets could be eliminated altogether, because they are unable to raise as much revenue through fund drives as their big city peers. Just within the last year, the PBS affiliate in not-exactly-small market Orange County was nearly sold to a big money Christian broadcaster because of financial difficulty. It was saved at the eleventh hour by a band of business folks who recognized the value of public broadcasting.

The dedication of public broadcasting listeners/viewers should not be used to justify reducing federal funds. The fact that NPR in particular can raise such a large percentage of its operating budget is a testament to the fact that it is the single best source for non-commercial news. In an era when most people would rather just reaffirm their views with Fox News or Air America, it's important to reaffirm the value of federally supported broadcasting with a singular focus on serving the public interest.

The reputation of NPR and PBS have taken unfair shots lately from Kenneth Tomlinson, the right-wing President of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He accused both of a liberal bias, despite recent (and historical) research which suggests the reporting is incredibly balanced. Network news is nothing more than another arm in the worldwide branding strategy of large media companies. The core value of publicly funded broadcasting is that it will never skew its reporting to prop up the parent company's summer blockbuster.

The proposed cuts were debated in sub-committee today and could be considered by the full House next week, so now's the time to get involved.