Budget cuts threaten indies as well as NPR & PBS

If you’ve been following the news lately, you know that federal funding for public broadcasting is under threat. Today the House voted for a budget that eliminates support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides money for public radio and television programming and infrastructure.

As independent producers, we’d like to point out that public media is more than just NPR and PBS. Some of the most innovative non-commercial programming comes from independent shops. We’re creating new platforms, reaching new audiences, and telling stories that the bigger outfits aren’t telling. Although the CPB has sharply reduced its support for independent producers in the last few years, its investments in the system as a whole remain crucially important to us. (Homelands has received grants from CPB in the past, but we’re not getting any now.)

The budget battle is far from over, and it’s unclear what will happen next. If you’d like to voice your support for public media, please consider calling your senators as soon as possible. You can learn more (and sign a petition) at 170MillionAmericans.org. The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) has also provided a handy list of action ideas.