.PBS gets a reprieve; House restores $100 million in funding
Naples Daily News
By AMIE PARNES, parnesa@shns.com
and KATE SPINNER, kespinner@naplesnews.com
June 24, 2005
WASHINGTON Despite efforts by Southwest Florida lawmakers to slash federal spending for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, the U.S. House rescinded the cut and voted Thursday to restore $100 million to continue to fund programs such as "Sesame Street" on PBS and "All Things Considered" on NPR.
Even though Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, and Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, received a flurry of calls and letters in recent days voicing concern about the issue, both lawmakers said they would have liked to have seen the funding sent to support other "more critical" government programs.
The 284-140 vote was part of a larger $142 billion spending bill for health, education and labor programs.
The threatened cuts could have severely affected WGCU Public Broadcasting, which is based at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, officials there said this week.
"We feel a weight has been lifted," said J. Mitchell Haley, associate general manager for WGCU public broadcasting, following the vote.
"You've got to feel that that is just a vote of confidence in what public broadcasting brings to the American people," Haley said.
Mack, who sits on the House budget committee, voted against the amendment because "we need to make responsible decisions," said Jeff Cohen, Mack's chief of staff.
"The committee constructed a budget to rein in on federal spending," Cohen said. "We need to work to preserve key services. This is part of that process."
Mack would have liked the money to be allocated to "protecting the men and women that serve our country" and highway programs, such as the expansion of Interstate 75, Cohen said.
"I voted to reduce funding while still providing $300 million for public broadcasting, because I believe this money can be better spent on reading programs and other high-priority education initiatives," Diaz-Balart said Thursday after the vote.
Last week, the Republican-controlled Appropriations Committee voted to cut $100 million, or 25 percent, from the budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, angering many Democrats.
Since then, as public broadcasting officials urged viewers and listeners across the country to call their lawmakers, Democrats held a series of press conferences on Capitol Hill denouncing Republicans for the proposed cuts.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., joined 15 other senators in asking President Bush to fire the corporation's chairman, Kenneth Tomlinson. Democrats accuse Tomlinson of trying to slash funding to the programming because of a perceived liberal bias.
"The administration is using Mr. Tomlinson to undermine and ultimately to try to undo one of the most balanced sources of news and programming in America," Nelson said.
Haley attributed bi-partisan support for the amendment that restored the bulk of funding for public broadcasting to listeners and viewers.
"It's not just about the stations, it's about the listeners and the viewers of public broadcasting who without a doubt showed us their support and they didn't have to send in a pledge," Haley said.
Haley said WGCU is prepared to take a lesser cut to its budget, but he will not know the extent of that cut until the bill passes the Senate.
"We will probably take some of a cut, which we were expecting to take, but it will be manageable without having to affect the local programming we provide," Haley said.
He said the station will just have to tighten its belt a little.
The cuts the House appropriations committee had recommended would have shaved off about 10 percent of WGCU's $5 million annual budget.
Haley said the station was preparing for cuts that weren't so drastic. Until he knows the actual figures that come out of the bill, Haley said he doesn't know whether the station will lead a longer on-air pledge drive to supplement the reduction in revenue.
"Let's all collectively hope we don't get any hurricanes this year," said Haley, referring to the damage to the station's radio towers when Hurricane Charley hit last year.
Copyright 2005, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved
Naples Daily News
By AMIE PARNES, parnesa@shns.com
and KATE SPINNER, kespinner@naplesnews.com
June 24, 2005
WASHINGTON Despite efforts by Southwest Florida lawmakers to slash federal spending for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, the U.S. House rescinded the cut and voted Thursday to restore $100 million to continue to fund programs such as "Sesame Street" on PBS and "All Things Considered" on NPR.
Even though Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, and Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, received a flurry of calls and letters in recent days voicing concern about the issue, both lawmakers said they would have liked to have seen the funding sent to support other "more critical" government programs.
The 284-140 vote was part of a larger $142 billion spending bill for health, education and labor programs.
The threatened cuts could have severely affected WGCU Public Broadcasting, which is based at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, officials there said this week.
"We feel a weight has been lifted," said J. Mitchell Haley, associate general manager for WGCU public broadcasting, following the vote.
"You've got to feel that that is just a vote of confidence in what public broadcasting brings to the American people," Haley said.
Mack, who sits on the House budget committee, voted against the amendment because "we need to make responsible decisions," said Jeff Cohen, Mack's chief of staff.
"The committee constructed a budget to rein in on federal spending," Cohen said. "We need to work to preserve key services. This is part of that process."
Mack would have liked the money to be allocated to "protecting the men and women that serve our country" and highway programs, such as the expansion of Interstate 75, Cohen said.
"I voted to reduce funding while still providing $300 million for public broadcasting, because I believe this money can be better spent on reading programs and other high-priority education initiatives," Diaz-Balart said Thursday after the vote.
Last week, the Republican-controlled Appropriations Committee voted to cut $100 million, or 25 percent, from the budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, angering many Democrats.
Since then, as public broadcasting officials urged viewers and listeners across the country to call their lawmakers, Democrats held a series of press conferences on Capitol Hill denouncing Republicans for the proposed cuts.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., joined 15 other senators in asking President Bush to fire the corporation's chairman, Kenneth Tomlinson. Democrats accuse Tomlinson of trying to slash funding to the programming because of a perceived liberal bias.
"The administration is using Mr. Tomlinson to undermine and ultimately to try to undo one of the most balanced sources of news and programming in America," Nelson said.
Haley attributed bi-partisan support for the amendment that restored the bulk of funding for public broadcasting to listeners and viewers.
"It's not just about the stations, it's about the listeners and the viewers of public broadcasting who without a doubt showed us their support and they didn't have to send in a pledge," Haley said.
Haley said WGCU is prepared to take a lesser cut to its budget, but he will not know the extent of that cut until the bill passes the Senate.
"We will probably take some of a cut, which we were expecting to take, but it will be manageable without having to affect the local programming we provide," Haley said.
He said the station will just have to tighten its belt a little.
The cuts the House appropriations committee had recommended would have shaved off about 10 percent of WGCU's $5 million annual budget.
Haley said the station was preparing for cuts that weren't so drastic. Until he knows the actual figures that come out of the bill, Haley said he doesn't know whether the station will lead a longer on-air pledge drive to supplement the reduction in revenue.
"Let's all collectively hope we don't get any hurricanes this year," said Haley, referring to the damage to the station's radio towers when Hurricane Charley hit last year.
Copyright 2005, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved
ninadelamorte:
Kickass!!! That makes me soooo happy. I'm a big supporter of PBS, always have been. 
jackskellington3:
so I bet you were happy to hear about that