General Discussion
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(865 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,892 posts)However, that's on the GOP's agenda.
regnaD kciN
(26,045 posts)The government can't close them down, only stop them receiving public funding. (Personally, I don't know what percentage of their funding is governmental at the moment, but it certainly isn't 100%.)
I doubt defunding would necessarily kill either entity -- but it would make them much more dependent on corporate funding, and thus much more likely to tailor their programming to be "friendly" to their major donors.
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)He thought that since we had the History and Discovery channel there was no need for public funding. Howling and slapping my knee.
csziggy
(34,139 posts)The CPB is the entity that actually gets the funding and distributes the money that mostly comes from Congress:
The CPB's annual budget is composed almost entirely of an annual appropriation from Congress plus interest on those funds. Ninety-five percent (95%) of CPB's appropriation goes directly to content development, community services, and other local station and system needs.[5]
For fiscal year 2014, its appropriation was US$445.5 million, including $.5M in interest earned. The distribution of these funds was as follows:[6]
$222.78M for direct grants to local public television stations;
$74.63M for television programming grants;
$69.31M for direct grants to local public radio stations;
$26.67M for PBS support;
$22.84M for grants for radio programming and national program production and acquisition;
$22.25M for CPB administrative costs;
$7.00M for the Radio Program Fund.
Public broadcasting stations are funded by a combination of private donations from listeners and viewers, foundations and corporations. Funding for public television comes in roughly equal parts from government (at all levels) and the private sector. [7]
Stations that receive CPB funds must meet certain requirements,[8] such as the maintenance or provision of open meetings, open financial records, a community advisory board, equal employment opportunity, and lists of donors and political activities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation_for_Public_Broadcasting#Funding_of_and_by_the_corporation
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)Much to my chagrin. Another thing I have to add to my list of things to protest.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)ginnyinWI
(17,276 posts)I know that most of us who depend on NPR and PBS for news would be glad to step up our donations. Until the outcry became so deafening that they 'd have to backtrack.
yewberry
(6,530 posts)PBS privatized, NEA & NEH eliminated, cuts at DOE and DOJ. Huge support from the Heritage Foundation.
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/314991-trump-team-prepares-dramatic-cuts
It's a proposal at this point.