Pubcaster Executives Say Funding Maybe Too Small For Super Committee Cuts
Some public broadcasting professionals are gauging whether federal funding for public broadcasting will be considered among budget cuts, with the creation of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. While the so-called super committee makes plans to eliminate $1.5 trillion of the nation’s deficit, some public broadcasters said the industry’s $440 million annual appropriation is likely too small to be considered. However, funding is still targeted, they said.
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"If the recent past is any indicator, there is no lack of tea party Republicans who want to gut funding for public broadcasting,” said Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. “I have to believe every public investment -- including public broadcasting -- is under scrutiny as a potential source of cuts by the super committee."
The super committee should consider cuts to all aspects of federal spending, including discretionary, defense and entitlement programs, said Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo. His HR-1076 is aimed at defunding NPR, and was approved this year by the House (CD March 18 p6). The CPB is fully capable of standing on its own, Lamborn said. “I urge the super committee to eliminate all future federal funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.” He also urged the Senate to take up HR-1076.
Funding could benefit from the structure of the super committee, said an aide to Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., chairman of the Public Broadcasting Caucus. “Given the makeup of the super committee, there’s going to be strong Senate support and strong Democratic support on the House side.” The structure “is formatted in a way to make it less politicized,” the aide said. The House and Senate remain divided on the issue of funding, he said: “I think that the Senate has always been a pretty large proponent of public broadcasting just because they have to serve statewide.” Members of the super committee had no comment.
For the Public Broadcasting Caucus, the House and FY2012 funding is the primary concern, said Blumenauer’s aide. A House appropriations bill bars funds from that year for being used to “pay dues to acquire programs from, or otherwise support NPR.” Blumenauer’s aide said the caucus is"trying to depoliticize public broadcasting, and part of it is restoring the two-year advance appropriation,” the Ready To Learn pubcasting partnership with schools and “the targeting of NPR."
It wouldn’t be rational for the super committee to focus on funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said Jerry Franklin, president of Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network. “It would seem unlikely that they would have the time or would find any real savings by looking at the smaller pots of domestic discretionary spending.” To reach its goal, it would need to target larger items like entitlement programs and tax reforms, he said. “But, since public broadcasting is a lightning rod in some eyes for federal funding, they may start with us."
Public broadcasting is “very small potatoes” compared to the bigger challenges the committee must deal with, said Pat Butler, president of the Association of Public TV Stations. “I don’t think we're going to be much of a focus.” The committee will probably look at entitlement and tax reform and defense spending, “rather than further reductions in discretionary spending,” he said. Whether the committee will dig into discretionary spending is the bigger question, said Jeff Nelson, managing director of public strategy for American Public Media. “If they do, public broadcasting has a serious reason to be concerned.” Funding remains at risk and “the super committee is one way we could see our funding reduced or eliminated,” he added.
Despite the challenging climate to funding, public broadcasting should be willing to take a reasonable reduction to funding, Franklin said. Federal funding should be used “only for national programming and new initiatives and not for local stations operations,” he said.
"We're leaving nothing to chance,” Butler said: But “I'm allowing myself to feel a little better about our funding prospects for the next funding cycle.” APTS is encouraging members to meet with members of the House Appropriations Committee, and the organization will probably meet with super committee members, he said.