Should The Government Pull The Plug On Public Radio???

Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO) has become the latest nemesis of public radio. Lamborn introduced legislation that would end funding for public radio, calling it a luxury the federal government can't afford. Lamborn introduced two bills that would defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting calling it "unnecessary". Lamborn claims that funding rose 26% during the past decade to $430 million per year, according to the Hill. That's the argument for defunding public radio. The argument against defunding comes from people like Melissa Ross, a public radio host/producer at WJCT Jacksonville. Melissa tells the Huffington Post that "Defunding NPR won't really hurt NPR. It will go on and continue to turn out 24/7, day in, day out. But the defenders, if they're successful, will do quite a bit of damage to local public broadcasting outlets around the country, which are often the only source of in-depth, quality reporting in the communities they serve"...

Both arguments are made by people who have something to gain or lose should the government pull the plug on public radio. Lamborn is a politician acting along party lines and Ross values her job and would like to keep it. Since Lamborn will get to keep his job should his side lose, Ross has more to lose. Ross feels that "the citizenry of this country need to be well-informed, more than ever. NPR, around the clock and every day of the year, does an outstanding job of that. Just ask the 170 million Americans who support public broadcasting."

So which side are you on? Chances are that if you're a fan of public radio, you're opposed to defunding for fear of losing one of your favorite stations. If so you should contact NPR to join one of the many groups opposed to defunding.

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