On Thursday, February 15, 2018, The Hill published an op-ed by APTS President and CEO Patrick Butler entitled, "Trump budget would devastate America’s public television stations," Butler makes the case for the federal investment in public broadcasting.
The op-ed begins with Butler stating, "President Trump’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for public television rests on the erroneous assumption that public television can rely exclusively on private support."
Butler continues: "Public television is primarily a local service, performed by 170 community, university and state licensees throughout America, pursuing essential missions of education, public safety and civic leadership for everyone — everywhere, every day, free of charge.
"Without the federal investment, this universal service would be impossible. (A GAO study commissioned by Congress said as much.) And the farther away from major cities public television goes, the more important federal funding becomes. In Alaska, where people, foundations and corporations are few and far between, federal funding represents about 80 percent of some public media stations’ budgets.
"But even in more heavily populated areas, public television provides public services that private funding cannot sustain."
Butler ends his op-ed by reminding readers that, "Federal funding remains the foundation for this remarkable record of public service, and we hope our representatives in Congress will continue to support the work their constituents value so highly."