NYT: Public Broadcasters' Tightrope Over Funds(on-air spots re. fund cuts)

[DeepModem Mom]

Public Broadcasters' Tightrope Over Funds
By LORNE MANLY
Published: June 23, 2005


"The Brian Lehrer Show" decided to tackle a topic this week that could hardly be knottier for its radio station, devoting about an hour on Monday to the battle over a possible cut in federal funds for public broadcasters like its own station, WNYC.

About a quarter of the way through the program's coverage, Mr. Lehrer went to a break. On came a promotional spot with Laura Walker, the WNYC president and chief executive, explaining how a bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee could severely cut into the station's annual operating revenue and programming....

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That jarring juxtaposition of news programming and self-interested promotion exemplifies the fine line that public broadcasters are walking as they mobilize to combat threats to their financing. It is always a delicate task for a news organization to cover itself. But when the organization in question is financed in part by the government, when the news centers on the prospects for that money and when a station floods its airwaves with spots urging viewers or listeners to contact their Congressional representatives, the undertaking becomes much more challenging.

Public television and radio stations began their outreach efforts to their viewers and listeners last week, after a House subcommittee first approved a measure that would cut funds by about $100 million (25 percent) to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funnels money from Congress to public television and radio. The measure also calls for the elimination of more than $100 million from funds devoted to helping stations convert to digital programming and upgrade satellite technology, as well as the "Ready to Learn" program, which provides money for children's shows like "Clifford the Big Red Dog." At stations across the country, messages from top executives have run in spots and on their Web sites informing people of the local impact that these cuts could have. For example, people tuning into WOSU's television and radio stations in Columbus, Ohio, have been hearing the general manager, Tom Rieland, say that the nonprofit has determined that it could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars for local programming and that "Public broadcasting's future is at a crossroads, and our elected officials need your input."

More than 100 of the 145 member stations of the Association of Public Television Stations, public television's lobbying arm, have undertaken similar efforts, and a majority of the 780 public radio stations that are members of National Public Radio have done the same....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/23/arts/television/23publ.html

[kimchi]

1. Bite me, NY Times.

If YOU had done your job and told the truth about the Republican agenda, public programming wouldn't be on the chopping block.

Blah blah blah. They can walk the line all they want--at least their actions don't get people KILLED.