Airwaves & Liberty

Seems like almost every year, Bush proposes slashing all of most of the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That’s the entity that provides annual “Community Service Grants” to public and community radio stations around the country — including your beloved Pacifica stations. This year is no exception — as the note below explains, Bush has proposed cutting the CPB budget by 56 percent this year.

Even though the CPB has survived through seven years of Bush, this could be the year it gets hammered unless you help. Free Press has put together a handy form for you to contact your Senators and tell them what you think.

~Nathan

Tell Congress to Save Public Broadcasting
June 23, 2008
By Megan Tady

Throwing the remote at the TV or yelling at the radio after another unbelievable comment from a TV anchor (terrorist fist-bump, anyone?) sure does help to relieve some pent up frustration against the news media. But a busted remote certainly won’t get us any closer to getting more real news on our airwaves.

And neither will letting the Bush administration get away with their slash-and-burn tactics to stifle public broadcasting. The administration has proposed cutting the public broadcasting budget by 56 percent — putting at risk vital news, educational and cultural programming that millions of Americans say they prefer to commercial media.

Getting serious, independent journalism is already hard enough – now can you imagine the media landscape we would face if Bush chops down public broadcasting? It’s going to look pretty bleak.

But Congress has the ability to protect noncommercial media by not only restoring but increasing funding for diverse public media. The Senate is going to vote on the Bush cuts tomorrow. Tell your Senators to save public broadcasting now.