Funding for Public Media

In June the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) issued the results of a study by Booz & Co. on alternative funding mechanism for public media.  The report concluded that federal funding for public media was still a necessity.  It further stated that 130 stations would be in jeopardy of going off the air without government funding.  Many of these stations are in rural areas and, in soime cases, are the only source for emergency information. 

Members of the CPB Board and management have been circulating the report to Congressional staffers since its release.  The CPB's nearly $500 million subsidy from the federal government is an area that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has targeted for elimination. Romney did state that he likes the programming, but it should be able to stand on its own without a continued subsidy.  He suggested that stations be able to sell advertising.   In a $3 trillion dollar budget it seems that half a billion is small change.  In fact, it is, but recent controversies especially with NPR have raised the ire of many republican members of Congress. One recent budget proposal calls for the continuation of some federal funding for public broadcasting, but prohibits stations from using the federal subsidy from paying dues or purchasing programming from NPR and other national providers.  NPR relies on station dues and sales of programming to maintain its lavish lifestyle in DC.  The proposed budget did not include a similar provision for PBS programming.  A similar provision would devastate PBS.  The Big Bird provider depends more on station dues and other fees to provide a full slate of programming.  For some stations those dues and fees amount to over 30 percent of the federal funding called a Community Service Grant.  Many stations may have to give up PBS membership with that kind of provision.

There is enough high quality content from other providers that could easily replace the content from PBS.  Viewers would have to support the new and better content.  KCET is still finding that a difficult road to follow, but is making progress. KCET dropped its PBS membership after a dues dispute.

CPBS leaders face an uphill battle to retain the funding for itself, NPR, PBS, and the stations.  During its two day board meeting, CPB met with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.  

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) said that CPB was an easy target because "you're small in number."  As a Republican Young said he like public media, but he said that PBS and NPR concentrate too much on saturated markets for programming. The programs are too focused on New York with few voices from Alaska.

This has been a major complaint from stations for years.  PBS, especially, concentrates on big markets and often presents programming of little interest anywhere else in the country.  The recent airing of Wagner's complete ring cycle has very little interest outside of New York and Washington is an example of PBS' big market prejudice.

Young said CPB needs a new way to present itself to Congress.  He suggested that CPB, PBS, and NPR officials need to talk directly with lawmakers instead of staff.

During the board meeting, CPB Executive VP Michael Levy noted that there is little change in conversation with Congressional leaders and the negative attitude toward public media is "continued and pervasive."

Following the two day meeting the CPB board issues a resolution in support of continued federal funding.

If there is a change in administrations, the funding of public media stations will end in 2015.  Proponents of continued funding will need to begin work quickly to turn around the attitude of members of Congress.  Strong leaders at the corporate level and string local station leaders need to be found to lead a new movement.  Current leaders seem to believe a resolution will save public media.