[Peace-discuss] [sf-core] Fwd: Save NPR and PBS

[Mike Lehman]

Just to add to what Andrew noted, cutting off funding to CPB would 
probably have a greater impact on those stations that are not part of 
the NPR/PBS structure. These are stations that are for the most part 
closely connected to the communities they serve. I can't speak to how 
large a percentage of their budgets are CPB funded, but I do know it 
pays for a lot of infrastructure that community stations would not 
otherwise be able to afford or only at cost to the paltry remainder of 
their budgets needed for everything else.

However, if you want to avoid any taint of CPB money ( ;-) ) WRFU has 
never applied for any and probably won't. That said, part of the reason 
that WRFU doesn't is due to its horizontal organizational model, which 
creates its own share of issues with funding that we are struggling to 
overcome.

It doesn't always hold true with NPR/PBS stations, but locally we've 
been fortunate to have one of the better such organizations, which is 
responsive to the communities it serves. We could do far worse -- and 
will, if certain people get their way. That might somehow be perceived 
as good for WRFU or WEFT in some convoluted fashion, but we'd all be 
poorer for it.
Mike Lehman

On 2/12/2011 11:51 AM, "Dr. Andrew Ó Baoill" wrote:
> I think it's also important to understand that "defund NPR and PBS" is shorthand, designed to explain the proposal in terms of 'retail level' brands the general public will know (and, generally, feel fondly towards). The actual plan is to zero out funding for CPB, which is the main public entity that provides funding not just for NPR and PBS, but also for Pacifica and many community radio stations.
>
> There's been continual debate over the merits (and impact) of the CPB's approach to supporting non-commercial broadcasting, but are critics of the current approach - who, perhaps, want more funding for locally-oriented programming, or more programming that undertakes critical examination of our political and economic elites - really better served by shutting down all federal funding for non-commercial broadcasting? Are we really better served by a media system in which advertising, wealthy philanthropists, and individual subscription/donation (largely in that order) are the only sources of funding for our media system? What's the roadmap for restarting public funding (and ensuring such funding is 'better' focused than the current system?
>
> There are some exceptions out there: Democracy Now! does not receive CPB funding, though I'm not sure how many of their affiliates get CPB funding that is then available to fund their support for DN! (and, of course, the Pacifica Foundation, DN!'s largest funder, receives CPB funding).
>
> Andrew
>
> On 2011 Feabh 12, at 11:42, Mike Lehman wrote:
>
>> While I really can't dispute the criticisms of NPR (and PBS) and am
>> regularly disappointed by them, I think it's wholly counterproductive to
>> presume that the elimination of either would benefit those seeking
>> alternatives to the present system.
SNIP