Contact:
Tania Panczyk-Collins
202 654-4222
tpanczyk@apts.org

Public Television Condemns President’s Proposed 56 Percent Reduction in Public Broadcasting Funding

WASHINGTON--February 4, 2008--APTS condemned President Bush’s recommendation in his FY 2009 budget to Congress for a $200 million rescission from the $400 million already appropriated by Congress for FY 2009 for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), and a $220 million rescission from the $420 million already appropriated by Congress for FY 2010.

“This is the eighth year in a row that this President has tried to gut Public Broadcasting and this will be the eighth year in a row that we will have to persuade Congress to ignore his cuts,” said APTS President and CEO John Lawson. “This is some legacy the President is leaving for noncommercial media.”

If enacted, these cuts would represent a 56 percent reduction in funding from CPB’s FY 2008 levels and would be felt in all CPB programs, beginning with the station Community Service Grants.

“The President’s cuts are tailored to inflict maximum damage and contradict the goals of Congress and the public,” Lawson said.

The recommendations also call for no CPB advance appropriation for FY 2011, and no additional funding for FY 2009 for Public Broadcastings’ digital conversion and facilities upgrades. Advance funding is a longstanding practice recognizing the unique nature of Public Broadcasting. It allows stations to insulate programming decisions from political influence, maximize funding efforts, and have the critical lead-in time needed to plan and produce high quality noncommercial programming.