• by Joe Mandese , February 5, 2008

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which has faced dwindling federal support in recent years, could be facing an economic crises following a decision by President George W. Bush to reduce its funding to $200 million for fiscal 2009 from the $400 million previously appropriated by Congress. For fiscal 2010, Bush's budget calls for a $220 million reduction from the $400 million approved by Congress for that year. No budgets have been set for 2011.

The cuts, which would represent a 56% reduction in CPB's original budget, come amid cutbacks in corporate underwriting and public contributions for public broadcasting, and as public broadcasters increasingly find themselves competing with niche cable and satellite channels--ot to mention the Internet--in many of their core programming genres.

"While we are acutely aware of the difficult budgetary choices facing the federal government, the cuts proposed in the budget for public broadcasting are draconian," Patricia Harrison, president-CEO of the CPB stated, following Bush's budget proposal. "Implementation of these severe cuts would impact millions of Americans who utilize public broadcasting on so many levels beginning with educational programming and services. Further, it would work to degrade a 40-year partnership the American people overwhelmingly support and their elected representatives in Congress have repeatedly voted to strengthen."

The CPB noted that in many parts of the U.S., local public radio and television stations are the last locally-owned and locally-operated media outlets. While the Federal investment comprises only 16% of the average station's budget, for small stations in rural and minority communities, that percentage is much higher. The proposed budget, if enacted, would force these stations to reduce services or shut down entirely.