Many of us grew up watching “Sesame Street” and learning from Big Bird. Over 50 years later, I still remember my favorite songs from the show: Kermit the frog singing “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green”, Ernie singing “Rubber Duckie”, and Big Bird singing the alphabet.
For over 40 years, kids in central and western Kansas have been able to learn reading, math, science, and social skills by watching “Sesame Street”, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”, “Clifford the Big Red Dog”, “Curious George”, and many others on Smoky Hills Public TV (also called Smoky Hills PBS).
But the White House has:
· Issued an executive order to immediately defund PBS, which provides these shows to Smoky Hills PBS;
· Eliminated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget; and
· Plans to ask Congress to rescind already-appropriated funding for the CPB.
The CPB is the Congressionally-created private, nonprofit corporation that allocates federal funding appropriated by Congress to local PBS stations and provides key infrastructure needed for local public TV stations to operate.
CPB funding is critical for a station like Smoky Hills PBS that serves 51 rural counties with relatively small populations, requiring 4 transmitters to broadcast its programming. These transmitters are expensive to operate and maintain.
Serving areas with small populations likely means having lower potential revenue (i.e., fewer individual and corporate donors). Conversely, urban stations like the one in Kansas City can serve 5 times more people with just 1 transmitter.
Defunding CPB would financially devastate Smoky Hills PBS and defunding PBS would cut off kids’ access to these educational shows that are available at no charge, unlike those on cable, satellite, and streaming services.
During the past 5 years, 48% of Smoky Hills PBS’ revenue has come from CPB. CPB costs Americans about $1.60 per person and comprises roughly 0.01% of the federal budget.
If you value Smoky Hills PBS’ educational shows for kids or like watching the 3-2-1A Boys & Girls State Wrestling Championships, “Real Ag”, “Doctors On Call”, “Cottonwood Connections”, “All Creatures Great and Small”, “Austin City Limits” or nature and historical documentaries, please tell Senator Jerry Moran, Senator Roger Marshall, and Congressman Tracey Mann to maintain funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS.
Helen Hands
Hays