Variety published an article recently by journalist Ted Johnson, "Trump’s Budget Expected to Include Deep Cuts to Public Broadcasting and the arts."
The article was a preview to President Trump's budget, based on rumors of federal funding cuts to National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Mr. Johnson explores advocacy efforts to save funding to NEA and CPB, including America's Public Television Stations (APTS).
The article explains that "Patrick Butler, the president of the America’s Public Television Stations, gave a speech last month in which he talked of past successful efforts to preserve funding, 'and we’re still here.'”
“'We’re here because, whether the president chooses to or not, Congress listens to its constituents, who overwhelmingly support our work and the federal funding that ensures its reach to every American,' [Butler] said in his speech to the Public Media Summit last month."
"[Butler] said that one of the members of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a centrist group, told him that 'he thought we’d have at least 100 House Republicans on our side in a showdown vote on our funding.' He noted that Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees their funding, recently said ‘there is a strong constituency for public broadcasting in both the House and Senate.'”
“'Severe reductions in domestic spending will not be tolerated by the 48 Democrats in the Senate — or by a majority of appropriations in both parties,' Butler said in the speech."
"APTS also have an award at its summit to a key Republican in the Senate, Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). He is chairman of a Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees public broadcasting funding."
To read the full article, click here.