Moran Opposes Republican Efforts to Silence Sesame Street and NPR

Press Release

Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, spoke out today against Republican efforts to slash funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the entity responsible for offering popular and classic children's shows as well as thoughtful and balanced adult programming. Democrats offered an amendment during consideration of the FY '06 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act (H.R. 3010) that would restore the funding cuts to public broadcasting. It passed by a 284-140 vote.

"Educational programs such as Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow have taught generations of children practical grammatical and arithmetic skills while challenging their imagination and creativity," said Moran. "These shows are a child-rearing staple for millions of American families. At a time when so much of the content on television is unsuitable for youngsters, public television and radio are havens for clean, decent and thought-provoking viewing.

"Private broadcasting is for the purpose of selling products for profit. Public broadcasting is for the purpose of informing minds for enlightenment."

Funded by Congress through the annual Labor-HHS Appropriations Act, CPB is the lifeline for public programming. Had the Republican appropriations bill (H.R. 3010) passed without the Democratic amendment, it would have cut CPB's budget by $100 million, roughly 25 percent. Popular local public television and radio station WETA would have been cut by $1.69 million (45% of public funding) and popular public radio station WAMU would have lost $300,000 (46.5% of public funding).

"We are in the midst of a robust economy; there is no excuse for doing this other than paying for exorbitant tax cuts. Republicans appear to be targeting public broadcasting in an attempt to alter content they feel is not conservative enough. Politicizing one of the few truly 'spin free media zones' will only further polarize this country, it will continue the dumbing down of intellectual debate in the U.S. by denying the public of an essential source of balanced and truthful information.

"One third of its public broadcasting audience is conservative, one third is liberal and the other third is in the middle of the road politically speaking, according to the most reliable polls that have been taken. CPB is an important asset to our civil society. We must not let it be sacrificed on the altar of political extremism. Newt Gingrich who tried to zero out public broadcasting ten years ago recently told an audience in an ironic evolution, that he now listens to NPR every morning on the way to work."

H.R. 3010 is expected to pass the House Friday. The Senate has yet to take up their version of the bill.

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