CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ALERT: June 14, 2005
http://www.chicagomediaaction.org

The House Appropriations Subcommittee has voted to cut funding for public
broadcasting.  The cuts would include:

1) A decrease of $23.4 million in federal funds for children's educational
shows such as "Sesame Street",  "Clifford the Big Red Dog" and "Arthur." This
legislation would deprive millions of American children of such programming.

2) Within two years, a cut of all federal money for the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB), which accounts for about 15 percent of Public
Broadcasting's total revenue.   Small stations that serve rural communities and
minority audiences are particularly vulnerable to the cuts because they operate
on very tight budgets and in many cases, they are one of the only public
stations serving the community.

Public broadcasting has failed miserably to serve the interests of the
"underserved", as outlined in its charter.  But this funding cut proposed by
House Republicans is not the appropriate next step in solving the long term
problems of public broadcasting.

We must act now.  Please call the House Appropriations Subcommittee leadership
and...

{1} demand that they work to restore full funding for public broadcasting
immediately

{2} demand that funding for public broadcasting be substantially increased and
made independent and permanent

{3} demand that the public be given a binding voice in decisions affecting
public broadcasting

Call today:
Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA) - (202) 225-5861
Vice Chairman Ralph Regula (R-OH) - (202) 225-3876


BACKGROUND INFO:
Congressional wars over funding for public broadcasting aren't new.  Newt
Gingrich unsuccessfully tried to strip all funding for public broadcasting in
the 1990s and there are still some in Congress who share his vision.

Why have Congressional opponents of public broadcasting chosen
to renew their efforts at this time?

Public broadcasters have been under attack in recent months from someone who
should be supporting them.  The current "Corporation for Public Broadcasting"
chair, Kenneth Tomlinson, has conducted an all out campaign in recent months
to politicize the CPB and interfere with the editorial independence of NPR and
PBS because he thinks they are biased. Tomlinson's view is shared by the same
House Republicans who are trying to gut funding for public broadcasting.

Please call Rep. Lewis at 202-225-5861 and Rep. Regula at 202-225-3876 and
tell them to give the public a binding voice in decisions affecting public
broadcasting and to restore, increase and make permanent its funding.  Be sure
to also include correspondence with your Congressional representatives to tell
them what you think.

For more background information, please read:

http://www.freepress.net/news/8421

http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/news.php?id=318

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