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What NPR chief's resignation means for public broadcast funding
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STEVE CHIOTAKIS: As the budget debate wages in Washington we're likely to see more heat coming from GOP lawmakers over the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is a prime funding mechanism for public radio. Today, Vivian Schiller, NPR's president and CEO, resigned her position in the wake of comments an NPR executive made in a meeting that was secretly videotaped.
The fundraising exec told two people who were disguised as possible contributors that -- among other things -- he'd be glad if federal funding of public media went away. NPR is in no way affiliated with Marketplace's owners, APM, American Public Media. But both companies do take a very limited amount of federal funding.
Steve Behrens is editor at Current, which is the newspaper that serves public media people. And he's with us now from Washington. Good morning.
STEVE BEHRENS: Good morning.
CHIOTAKIS: So, House Republicans are pushing to de-fund the CPB -- the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. What's that going to do to a radio network such NPR or even a production company like APM?
BEHRENS: It's going to cut into the money available for all the producers, the stations pay more than a third of NPR's budget to buy programs from it, and if they have less money, then NPR will have less money. The same with all the other programs. Some of them are more dependent on federal money than others. The more marginal ones will go away.
CHIOTAKIS: When you say marginal, you're talking about marginal programs or marginal stations?
BEHRENS: Both actually. The smaller stations get more of their money from the feds than the big ones. The average is around 10 or 15 percent. Little stations may get 30 percent.
CHIOTAKIS: So with Vivian Schiller now out, does it change the debate though do you think? As far as what Congress is looking at?
BEHRENS: No I don't think so. I mean, the critics will still be able to point to the same problems. They just won't have her to kick around any more.
CHIOTAKIS: Steve Behrens, the editor of Current, which is the newspaper of public media here in the public radio and public television system. We thank you Steve.
BEHRENS: You're welcome.
Fausto Chavez's comment on the Democrats and PBS as both "gutless"
RIGHT ON! Like Fadimen's film on "Hamlet" "The Poisoned Kingdom"--the poison flow down from the top. When Obama caves before the cards are even dealt, what chance for a fair shake do people have who supported this man with dollars, sweat, and now tears?
This is another trumped up right win attack and what do the good people do? they roll over.
Seriously, the only thing NPR has in common with Democratic Party is they are both spineless and unable to stand up for themselves. Truly disappointing. If this was a Fox News style outlet where there is an obvious daily agenda and wall to wall coverage of issues of both controversial nature or made controversial for their purpose of generating ratings and doing damage to liberals/democrats and scoring political points while distracting the public from serious issues and spreading smears then i could see the right wingers complaint about NPR as legitimate.
Most FACTS have a liberal bias. God help American when the press fails to educate the people.
It's long time to cut off government funding for "public" radio. Point one, it's not public. Point two, sell ads like every other media outlet. Doing so will not be far from the "sponsorships" and the "ads" that we hear at the beginning and end of the programs aired today.
I will gladly pay more of my own money to listen to radio just as I do to watch television.
Either sell it through an on-line outlet, or make it part of my cable service or just bill me a reasonable fee.
Get the government out of the business of funding NPR, PBS, APM, CPB and others I may not know, and we will all be better off.
If need be, make my contributions to these entities tax deductible, but just get the government out of the loop ASAP!
The public TV and Radio in Philadelphis WHYY's CEO makes $750,000.00 a year. The Philly based programs are marginal at best. Their best programs are purchased fromother public radio outlets. They should be like the rest of non-profits in the country. Go out raise the money.
I found this interview very confusing. I did not understand the firing of the exec and the meeting with potential contributors discussed in the first two paragraphs. Obviously the NPR problems started with the firing of Juan Williams, several months ago. I don't think it contributes much to the understanding of the GOP attack on funding CPB & NPR
