January 11, 2011

Contact: Danielle Deabler, NPR

NPR STATEMENT REGARDING PROPOSED LEGISLATION, H.R. 68/69

Federal funding for public broadcasting is about local, public stations meeting the information needs of Americans. Congressman Lamborn's legislation is an intrusion into the programming decision-making of America's public radio stations. His legislation will disrupt and weaken the free and universal public media system that serves 170 million Americans each month.

The proposal to prohibit public radio stations from using CPB grants to purchase NPR programming interjects federal authority into local station program decision-making. Furthermore, restrictions on the authority of CPB – a Congressionally chartered, independent non-profit organization – to make competitive grants to NPR, or any other public broadcasting entity, is misguided.

Public radio stations all across America are locally-licensed and locally-staffed. These stations make programming decisions based on the needs of their communities and audiences. It seems ironic that Congressman Lamborn who seeks to withdraw federal support for public radio wants federal legislators in turn to assert control over how local public radio stations can make use of programming funds. This legislation would ultimately dictate the daily editorial schedules and news programs of nearly one thousand public radio stations across America.