"Public broadcasting is one of the cornerstones of our national media,” Congressman Lynch stated. "We’re talking about PBS and NPR. We’re talking about important educational tools used by millions of families nation wide. Public broadcasting shouldn’t be held hostage for political purposes.”
The provision in the bill would cut $100 million in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is its primary source of funding. The Association of Public Television Stations has stated that these 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 Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is the U.S.-taxpayer-funded agency that provides critical dollars to public broadcasting across the country. According to the nonpartisan Roper polling firm, Americans consider the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) the nation’s "most trusted” among nationally-known organizations. They also believe that PBS is the second "most valuable” service taxpayers receive, outranked only by national defense. The same poll also found that a majority of Americans believes the system receives too little funding.
"My office, like many others, continues to receive hundreds of calls from citizens who are opposed to the cuts in funding,” explained Congressman Lynch. "I will continue to fight against these damaging cuts as this bill moves forward.”
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