Op-Ed by Rita Ray, executive director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Printed in The Charleston Gazette on August 7, 2005.
“Should Congress Eliminate Funding and Tax Breaks for Public Broadcasting?” In the July 17 Gazette, singer Pat Boone argued “yes” and Llewellyn King seemed to reluctantly argue “no.”
Rather than rely on the opinions of two individuals, I suggest that the question of funding for public broadcasting is better answered by those who help provide the funding: the public. And the public overwhelmingly supports this trusted institution because it understands the unique role public broadcasting plays in the crowded media marketplace. Public broadcasting is fundamentally independent in nature and is dedicated to providing a forum for diverse voices unlike other broadcasters, who must answer to a commercial mandate.
When a Congressional subcommittee recently acted to reduce funding for public broadcasting, members of Congress were flooded with letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents protesting the action. Federal funding for public broadcasting amounts to about $1.30 per citizen per year and makes up 13 percent of public broadcasting’s revenue. An annual Roper Public Opinion Poll places the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) in the top three categories of public services perceived as an “excellent” value for tax dollars, military defense being the first.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes federal funds to local stations, recently commissioned two national opinion polls; one of the pollsters was associated with the Republican party and one associated with the Democratic party. Both polls found “the clear majority of Americans (83 percent) agree that it is important for the federal government to support PBS financially so that it can be offered to local communities free of charge and without commercials.” In addition, both surveys confirmed that the majority of the U.S. adult population does not believe the news and information programming on public broadcasting is biased.
Additionally, a recent Roper Poll determined PBS ranked No. 1 in public trust over other media and other institutions. As stewards of that trust, West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s mission is based on satisfying the human need to learn. Our radio, television, and Ready to Learn service nurture personal growth and civic responsibility, respect people’s intelligence, and promote lifelong discovery. In addition to programs from PBS and NPR, we also produce and acquire programs to address the special needs and interests of West Virginians.
Each weekday morning Beth Vorhees hosts radio’s “West Virginia Morning” that includes reports from bureaus supported by West Virginia University, Shepherd University, and Wheeling Jesuit University. Marshall University will soon join this partnership.
Thursday nights on WV PBS, “Outlook” examines people and issues of statewide interest. And through our partnership with the WVU Center for Health Sciences, Dr. Robert D’Alessandri and medical experts educate people about health and prevention by answering viewers’ questions on “Doctors on Call.” Host Dan Ringer and other attorneys help viewers understand how the law relates to them on “The Law Works.”
During Friday’s “In Touch with the Arts,” host Laura Allen features musicians and other artists living in the state, while Joe Dobbs features folk and traditional musicians on “Music from the Mountains.” West Virginia native Mari-Lynn Evans documented the region’s rich traditional music on the recent television series “The Appalachians.” We all share the pride of hearing Larry Groce, host of “Mountain Stage,” welcome listeners from across American and other countries to “live performance radio from the Mountain State of West Virginia!”
Public broadcasting also has a long history of supporting formal education. For example, the PBS Web site is the most widely used dot org site in the world, with teachers representing a large percentage of these users. More classroom teachers use the PBS science series “NOVA” as an instructional tool than any other television series ever produced. Students in West Virginia can get assistance with math and science homework during the school year by watching our live production of “Homework Hotline” featuring real classroom teachers.
Our Ready to Learn service (RTL) uses the reach of public broadcasting to foster basic reading skills which young children entering school need to be successful. Our workshops train caregivers and parents to use the research-based PBS children’s programming, along with books and activities to teach these skills. An average of 35,000 West Virginia preschool children and their families benefit from this service each year.
Public broadcasting is a true partnership supported by individuals, government, businesses and other organizations. Without the public, we would be just broadcasting.
