U.S. House bill axes NPR funding, faces opposition in Senate

Cape Girardeau's National Public Radio affiliate KRCU is depending on its listeners for support now more than ever after the U.S. House of Representatives last week voted to defund NPR, a move that could cut the local station's budget by 23 percent.

KRCU receives about $115,000 annually through a Corporation for Public Broadcasting radio community service grant.

Eliminating those funds will drastically change how the station operates, said Dan Woods, KRCU general manager.

"If any home or business loses a quarter of its budget, it will have a serious impact," he said. "We'd try to make up as much of it as we could through fundraising, but it would be hard."

Woods said listener support has always been important but would be even more important in light of funding cuts. The largest portion of KRCU's funding, 47 percent, comes from the Southeast Missouri State University and 30 percent comes from local contributions.

A national effort, 170millionAmericans.org, has been organized to support the country's 368 public television stations, 934 public radio stations, hundreds of online services that could be affected by Congress' action.

Because Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants are a two-year appropriation, the elimination of funding, if it occurs, would happen in 2013, Woods said.

"It will be quite challenging, especially for smaller stations," Woods said. He described KRCU as a midsized station, but said the loss of funding could mean changes in programming and staff reductions. That would also mean fewer learning opportunities for student interns. This semester, the station has five news interns delivering local news broadcasts three times each morning.

NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley will be the keynote speaker at KRCU's spring membership drive fundraising breakfast March 31 at the Wehking Alumni Center at Southeast. There is no cost to attend the breakfast, but an RSVP is required by calling 651-5070 by March 24. Attendees will be asked to make a pledge to support the station.

Two bills on NPR funding have passed the House. The first, House Resolution 1, a continuing appropriations act, includes no money for Corporation for Public Broadcasting community service grants. Those grants amount to about $84 million each year.

A second measure, approved last week, would permanently prohibit stations from using federal funds to pay NPR dues and to purchase programming. The bill cleared on a partisan vote of 228-192, and the White House issued a statement in advance criticizing the measure but stopping short of a veto threat. The bill faces strong opposition in the Senate.

"In a difficult budget environment with record federal deficits, every program is on the table for consideration," said Rep. Jo Ann Emerson in a written statement.

The Congressional Budget Office recently issued an analysis that shows the U.S. will add $9.5 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years, she said.

"That is an unacceptable number, and it represents an unacceptable burden on our children and their children," Emerson said. "Public radio and public television have a long history of private support by their listeners and viewers, but additional millions of dollars in taxpayer funds for any news organization also makes this federal funding a controversial subject."

While she supports the funding cuts, she said she is sympathetic to the situation they create for area radio stations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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