CPB SEEKS FUNDING FROM EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL FOR PBS AND NPR
Saying PBS and NPR had run out of funds to continue special programming related to Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, CPB has asked Office of Management & Budget (OMB) for $15 million from $20 billion emergency supplemental appropriation recently passed by Congress. CPB said it was working closely with PBS and NPR to provide additional support to defray cost of extended coverage, but “within CPB’s FY 2002 budget we cannot provide sufficient support for this ongoing effort,” Pres. Robert Coonrod said in letter to OMB Dir. Mitch Daniels.
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Coonrod said PBS, NPR and local public broadcasting stations had been providing “extensive in-depth” reporting and many hours of special coverage of attacks, nation’s response and underlying issue of international terrorism. “The ‘breaking’ nature of these events and the need for extended, immediate coverage, however, has necessitated an extraordinary and unanticipated outlay of funds,” he wrote. “PBS and NPR have already exhausted their financial ability to continue this special programming.”
Saying cost of public broadcasters’ extended programming would exceed $25 million through year, Coonrod said PBS and NPR would use funds to leverage additional nonfederal money to cover full cost of programming.
Pointing out that News Hour with Jim Lehrer had “grown from a one-hour, 5 nights a week program service to a news operation with the ability to report 24 hours a day,” Coonrod said that development had necessitated new funding for more on-call crews and staff, increased production and satellite costs and additional coverage by overseas reporters. PBS also wants to strengthen its team of producers to “explore other key players” in conflict, he said, and commission, acquire and produce additional documentaries and programs that “bring a global view closer to home.”
Coonrod said NPR didn’t “hesitate to incur significant unbudgeted expense” at time when its corporate underwriting revenue had fallen 14% short of goal. “As a result, NPR is faced with budgetary revisions and cutbacks in all other areas of the company.” Public broadcasters were aware that supplemental appropriation was meant to address nation’s priorities, he said, and “informing, educating and creating forums for thoughtful discussion of this national crisis is such a priority.”
Meanwhile, NPR said it would turn to member stations as last option after foundation grants and CPB support for extended coverage of fallout of Sept. 11 attacks. Giving update to Membership Committee of NPR board Nov. 15, Dana Rehm, vp-member services, said NPR at start had tapped into its operating reserves for terrorist attack coverage. Although it had no immediate plans to “bring the issue” to stations, she said possibility of approaching them couldn’t be ruled out given underwriting crunch and slowing economy. - - Dinesh Kumar