The Battle to Preserve Federal Funding for Public Media Begins

If you are having trouble reading this email, [read the online version](. The Battle to Preserve Federal Funding for Public Media Begins Dear Loyal KQED Supporter, As you may know, the Trump administration just released a 2018 fiscal-year budget outline that calls for the elimination of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The CPB is the largest source of funding for public media in the country, and its survival is critical for KQED and our sister public media stations across the country. To quote Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the CPB, "There is no viable substitute for federal funding that ensures Americans have universal access to public media's educational and informational programming and services. The elimination of federal funding to CPB would initially devastate and ultimately destroy public media's role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions — all for Americans in both rural and urban communities." While the news from Washington is alarming, it is not a surprise. Public media leaders, including me, have been preparing for this moment by lobbying members of Congress and building bipartisan alliances. The President's budget is only the first phase of a long process to determine the final budget. In the end, it's up to Congress to decide which aspects of the President's budget are enacted or not. Federal funding for the CPB has been challenged before. President George W. Bush eliminated funding for public media in the budget he sent to Congress for eight straight years, and in each of those years Congress restored funding. This is not to say that the danger to cutting off federal funding for public media is not great, but it does indicate that with vigorous, vocal public support, we can protect this irreplaceable public resource. So what can you do now to show your support and keep informed as the process unfolds? Join [Protect My Public Media]( and urge anyone who cares and benefits from public media to do the same. Many thanks for your continued support of KQED and public media, and your help in joining us in this fight! Sincerely, John L. Boland President, KQED [Unsubscribe]( from this email or [manage all]( of your email subscriptions. KQED, 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 tel: (415) 864-2000 Copyright © 2017 [KQED](. All Rights Reserved. [Privacy Policy](