Do your children or grandchildren enjoy watching Wild Kratts, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Curious George, or Sesame Street? Or do you watch state high school wrestling or 8-man football championships? Maybe you enjoy All Creatures Great and Small, Finding Your Roots, Antiques Roadshow, or Ken Burns history documentaries.
Your ability to watch these and other programs on Smoky Hills PBS will be jeopardized if the Senate votes next week to rescind already-appropriated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Why is this important to Smoky Hills PBS?
This year Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funding would make up 54% of Smoky Hills PBS’ revenues. The House of Representatives passed this Recission Bill last month. So if the Senate passes it by July 18th, this funding would be eliminated immediately, and would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to replace.
CPB funding comprises such a high proportion of Smoky Hills PBS’ revenues because the station serves a very large area, about 51 counties, with a relatively-sparse population with four energy-intensive transmitters. The relatively small population in these counties makes fundraising much more challenging than for urban stations that serve much smaller areas with much higher populations.
What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (or CPB)?
CPB is the private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress to be the steward of funds Congress allocates for public broadcasting. Over 70% of the funding Congress allocates to the CPB goes to local public broadcasters like Smoky Hills PBS. On average, CPB costs the taxpayer $1.60, and its funding comprises 0.01% of the federal budget, so cutting its funding will not meaningfully cut the federal deficit. However, cutting its funding will significantly harm local public TV and radio stations and the people they serve.
What can you do?
Please call the local offices of Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall and leave a message telling them to vote against rescinding funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and why Smoky Hills PBS is important to you. The Senate will likely vote on this Bill the week of July 14th, so call today!
Senator Jerry Moran’s Hays Office: 785-628-6401
Senator Roger Marshall’s Salina Office: 785-829-9000
Helen Hands
Hays