House appropriators have proposed more than $220 million in crippling funding cuts for public broadcasting in the new fiscal year. Proposed funding cuts as severe as these – representing 45% of federal financial support – are nothing less than a direct attack on the future of public television and radio. The proposed cuts constitute at least malicious wounding, if not the outright attempted murder of public broadcasting in America.
What can you do?
Every American who supports public television must join together to fight back. The political strength of local public television and radio stations, PBS and NPR lies in the support we receive from communities across the nation. In this time of danger, we need our supporters mobilized.
Call your Members of Congress to express your support – and find out where they stand. Get your Members to commit to you that they will support public broadcasting.
Congress will respect your personal call much more than anything else we can do. Public broadcasting needs you to join the fight – our future depends upon it.
Take Action Today
Talking Points
These funding cuts will severely impact public television and radio stations! When you speak to your Member of Congress' staff, emphasize how cutting public television's funding will affect you, the constituent. Below are some talking points to help you state your case.
- These funding cuts are so drastic that they will severely impact every public television and radio station’s ability to provide educational, cultural and informational programming in local communities and throughout the nation.
- The elimination of funding for Ready To Learn is punitive. Ready To Learn integrates commercial-free children’s educational television and online resources with community outreach to help parents and educators prepare young children for success in school. Award-winning Ready To Learn television programs include Arthur, DragonTales, Clifford, Between the Lions, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Maya & Miguel, and Postcards from Buster.
- The recommended 25% cut in funding for CPB would result in my local station receiving less federal and state financial assistance for operations. This almost certainly would cause my local station to cancel educational services and slash local programming production.
Please ask your Member of Congress to commit to supporting any amendments or other legislative remedies to provide level funding for all public broadcasting programs.
