NPR Fires Back At Debt Commission Proposal

From Politico.com On Media blog:

Among the suggestions in [Wednesday's] explosive draft report by the National Commission for Fiscal Responsibility and Reform’s co-chairmen was the elimination of the $500 million currently going to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — i.e., defunding NPR and PBS.

NPR, having just gone through a round of more politically-motivated calls for defunding in the wake of the Juan Williams firing, responded Thursday:

The National Commission’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for public media would have a profound and detrimental impact on all Americans. Public radio is the last remaining source of independent, noncommercial and thought-provoking broadcast media in the country — and in some small towns and communities, is the only remaining source of free, accessible local, national and international news and information, music and cultural programming. Public radio stations are located in nearly every major city and small town delivering vital and highly trusted news and information to 37 million Americans each week — reaching more citizens than the circulation of the top 120 national newspapers combined.

In a time of media decline, especially in local, international and investigative reporting, public radio’s role in fostering an informed society has never been as critical as it is today. The public radio audience is one of the few in media that has consistently grown — doubling in the past decade alone.

Federal funding has been a central component of public radio stations’ ability to serve audiences across the country. It’s imperative for funding to continue to ensure that this essential tool of democracy survives and thrives well into the future.

In the midst of the Williams firing, NPR argued that it received less than 2 percent of its annual budget directly from the federal government, but CPB does partly fund the member stations that pay NPR membership fees.

Also read here:

NPR critics silent at network's board meeting (Current: Public Media)