CPB CEO Criticizes House Appropriations Defunding Bid
"Americans in rural and urban communities who depend upon public media content and services are very disappointed by" the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee's advancement Friday of a FY 2024 appropriations bill (see…
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2307140069) that would "eliminate CPB’s two-year advance funding," said CEO Patricia Harrison in a statement. Congress allocated CPB $535 million for FY 2025 in the FY 2023 omnibus appropriations package (see 2212210077). President Joe Biden proposed increasing its annual appropriation to $575 million for FY26, up 7%. The measure also doesn’t include funding for CPB system interconnection and infrastructure for FY24. The FY23 omnibus allocated $60 million for that purpose. It also doesn’t mention funding for the Education Department’s Ready to Learn educational programming grant program. "The elimination of this nearly 50-year funding structure would destroy the firewall that protects public media’s independence, and significantly weaken the public-private partnership that enables stations to raise needed funds," Harrison said: "Public media has always enjoyed strong bipartisan support, affirming its essential role in strengthening our nation’s civil society. The federal appropriation ensures universal access to free, high-quality, innovative, and diverse content that educates and enriches the public dialogue."