Stupak Signs Letter Opposing $100 Million Cut In Public Broadcasting Funding

Washington, D.C. – This week the House of Representatives will vote on the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that cuts funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) by 25 percent or $100 million. Today, Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) signed a letter with more than 20 Democratic colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to support restoring current CPB funding levels.

“Big Bird, Clifford and Barney have been staples in the lives of children for generations. We are looking at gutting a program that would deny those value driven characters and the lessons they instill from future generations,” Stupak said.  “Public broadcasting is an American treasure we need to protect. It costs just over a dollar per person annually for free, over-the-air public television and public radio that has been a source of in-depth journalism and learning opportunities for adults and children for many decades yet this Republican lead Congress is willing to make that cut.”

The provision in the bill would cut $100 million in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, upon which it heavily relies.  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 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.

“Additionally, several public universities in my district utilize these facilities to broadcast local news through a range of networks that reach out to smaller remote communities. With out this funding, these rural operations would no longer be able to provide this resource,” Stupak said. “As this bill moves forward, I will fight to have this damaging cut in funding restored.”

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