House Bill Eliminates Public Media Funding, Could Result in Annual Loss of $125,000 for KUAF
The House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS-Education) Appropriations Subcommittee unveiled its draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill, which eliminates two-year advance funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Interconnection funding. In effect, CPB funding would end beginning in FY 2026.
While many were expecting significant cuts to meet the debt ceiling law caps, this proposal to eliminate funding for CPB is deeply troubling and would overturn a 47-year-old bipartisan practice of advance funding that has been central to public media’s success and independence. And would eliminate annual funding of approximately $125,000 for KUAF - an annual loss that would be detrimental to the growth and vitality of the local, national, and international news coverage KUAF provides to hundreds of thousands in our area.
We Need Your Help
This moment necessitates a big grassroots response, and we need your help to spread the word. KUAF is asking you to work with us to Protect Public Media and to ask your representatives in Congress to oppose this bill.
What You Can Do
You can write or call Representative Steve Womack, (R-AR, 4th), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, asking for his support of public media and against the cuts to CPB.
You can also email Arkansas' other members of Congress - Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR, 1st), Rep. French Hill (R-AR, 2nd), and Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR, 4th).
You can access a template letter to a House Appropriations Committee members here and a template for other House members here.
While many were expecting significant cuts to meet the debt ceiling law caps, this proposal to eliminate funding for CPB is deeply troubling and would overturn a 47-year-old bipartisan practice of advance funding that has been central to public media’s success and independence. And would eliminate annual funding of approximately $125,000 for KUAF - an annual loss that would be detrimental to the growth and vitality of the local, national, and international news coverage KUAF provides to hundreds of thousands in our area.
We Need Your Help
This moment necessitates a big grassroots response, and we need your help to spread the word. KUAF is asking you to work with us to Protect Public Media and to ask your representatives in Congress to oppose this bill.
What You Can Do
You can write or call Representative Steve Womack, (R-AR, 4th), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, asking for his support of public media and against the cuts to CPB.
You can also email Arkansas' other members of Congress - Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR, 1st), Rep. French Hill (R-AR, 2nd), and Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR, 4th).
You can access a template letter to a House Appropriations Committee members here and a template for other House members here.
