Ken Burns has created more than 30 documentaries and has won several Emmys.
But without the funds of public television, his educational programming, such as “North and South War” and “baseball”, would never exist. “PBS news time” In Thursday interview.
The famous filmmaker, including the upcoming project “The American Revolution,” was broadcast on PBS, and his films received about 20%of the budget for public broadcasting, and Body Congress recently voted to Dongud.
Burns said that the project, which receives a higher percentage of funds through public media, “can’t just make it.” “And all kinds of filmmakers will have little expression. People are impossible to start.”
This week, the US Senate passed the Trump administration’s proposal. Previously, the company passed a proposal to cancel $ 9 billion in the federal fund allocated to foreign aid and public broadcasting, and the House of Representatives approved the package after midnight on Friday and sent it to President Trump’s desk.
CORP. of public broadcasters that manage funds for NPR radio stations and PBS TV affiliates is expected to lose $ 1.1 billion, which has set a budget for the next two years.
The effects of these cuts will be deeply felt in NPR and PBS, the two leaders told The Times. It is expected to be dismissed and reduced programming, and the blow will unbalanced the small market that depends more on the federal fund.
“This will give you the biggest blow where you need the most,” said USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Read more: The Senate voted NPR and PBS to DFUND. How will a local broadcaster deal with?
The stations in small markets are much less than the stations in large cities, often due to inconsistency of financing. Corp. of public broadcasters said that it served as “Great Equalizer”, KAHN said it could continue to operate a small budget.
Khan said, “There was a voice of the community, and it would be more and more lonely when this very reliable voice disappeared.” “In a year, you will no longer be able to listen to these things on the radio anymore.”
Media leaders react
This reduction fulfills the long dream of conservatives and liberals, and strengthens the concept of media organizations, especially the public funds they consider left. The Republican Party has called for reductions in public broadcasting for decades due to liberal inclination on his programming.
Trump was called the “left -wing propaganda” by the NPR and the PBS government.
However, some prominent voices in media and politics have quickly paid attention to the damage to cuts in the community where local broadcasters rely heavily on federal funds.
Burns said, “PBS broadcasting stations are actually the same as public libraries. It is one of the only important institutions that can be the only place for people to use local news.” There is a kind of local responsibility, and the news is nationalized and even internationalized.
PBS Chairman Paula Kerger also expressed similar concerns.
Kerger said in a Thursday statement: “Many broadcasters that provide access to free -owned programming and emergency alarms will now make difficult decisions in a few weeks and months.
Read more: The NPR station, which aims to cut Trump’s cuts, provided lifespan to listeners during disasters.
Below that. Lisa Mercov SkiOne of the two Senate Republican members voted against the package, and after the vote, the statement strongly opposed the reduction of public media. She mentioned a 7.3 earthquake in Alaska this week and triggered a tsunami warning as an example of a public service station.
“My colleagues are aiming for NPR, but they will hurt the local radio stations that provide essential news, notifications and educational programming nationwide.”
Destructive blow to the SOCAL station
Public media in the urban areas of Southern California, which can be transformed to wealthy local residents for donations, does not depend on federal funds than the stations of small markets. But they will still feel immediate loss.
NPR, headquartered in Washington, DC, has two major subsidiaries that provide services in Los Angeles area: LAIST or KPCC-FM (89.3) and KCRW-FM (89.9).
LAIST, headquartered in Passer Dina, earned $ 1.7 million, about 4% of its annual budget. Alejandra Santamaria, president and chief executive of LAIST, said Zai is the same as 13 journalists in the local news operation. Santa Monica’s KCRW was expecting $ 264,000 at CORP. for public broadcasting.
According to Andy Russell, the president and chief executive of the station, PBS SOCAL, which runs the member country and KCET of Orange and Los Angeles County, respectively, is facing $ 4.3 million in the Federal Fund.
Connie Leyva, managing director of San Bernardino’s KVCR Public Media, who operates PBS and NPR affiliates, said the Senate’s behavior would lose $ 540,000, about 6% of the operating budget. Therefore, she should consider cutting five positions of a dry employee.
KAHN, a USC professor, a publisher and editor of CrossStown LA, a non -profit newsroom focusing on regional reporting and data journalism, said that this cut could have unintended consequences for Trump’s voters.
“Of course, the irony is that they are generally supporting high margins Trump, and they are also the largest areas of loyalty to local public radio stations,” he said.
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This story originally appeared Los Angeles Times.
