In an early morning Thursday vote, the Senate passed $9 billion in federal spending cuts, including more than $1 billion in cuts to NPR and PBS. NPR CEO Katherine Maher is urging the House of Representatives to reject the cuts.
In a statement, Maher shared her displeasure with the funding cut, which amounted to $1.1 billion. That figure represents what the CPB was slated to receive over the next two budget years.
“Public radio is a lifeline, connecting rural communities to the rest of the nation, and providing life-saving emergency broadcasting and weather alerts,” Maher wrote. “It cannot be replaced, so it is essential that its funding be sustained. We call on the House of Representatives to reject this elimination of public media funding, which directly harms their communities and constituents, and could very well place lives at risk.”
Maher pointed to a situation earlier this week, when staff KUCB — the public radio station in Unalaska, Alaska — remained at the station at sea level as a tsunami warning was issued after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the state’s coast.
“When the tsunami sirens started to blare, the voice message in the warning instructed community members to tune in to local radio,” Maher shared, noting that the station is the only radio station serving the Aleutian Island community. “There are no alternatives, commercial or otherwise.”
Katherine Maher noted that the cuts to NPR and PBS come after a new Harris Poll survey shows that 66% of Americans believe that public radio should receive federal funding. The support isn’t limited to only one side of the political aisle. 77% of self-identified Democrats responded favorably to federal funding continuing to NPR. Meanwhile, 58% of Republicans responded similarly.
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