PBS Chief Paula Kerger Responds To Third Donald Trump Push To De-Fund
Responding to the Trump Administration’s third proposal to eliminate federal funding for public media, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger issued a statement on Monday:
PBS and our 350 member stations across the country have earned bipartisan Congressional support over the years due to the high value the American people place on the services we provide their communities. For a modest investment of about $1.35 per citizen per year, public television provides school readiness for children, support for teachers and caregivers, public safety communications and lifelong learning through high-quality content.
For the 16th year in a row, Americans named PBS and member stations #1 in public trust among nationally known institutions. The same survey revealed that Americans rank PBS and our member stations second only to the country’s military defense in terms of value for taxpayer dollars. PBS and its supporters across every region of the country will continue to remind legislators that federal funding is critical for public television to do this essential work.
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Kerger’s statement came not long after the release of a more detailed version of the administration’s proposed budget which would zero out the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
It’s President Donald Trump’s third stab at cutting out federal funding for public broadcasting. Trump also tried it in 2017 and again in 2018. A Republican-controlled Congress instead funded CPB both years. With Dems now controling the House, not many are putting their money on Trump succeeding this year.
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