U.S. Congressman Introduces Bill to Defund NPR and Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Upon the filing of H.R. 726 and H.R. 727, Representative Douglas Lamborn (R - Colorado) said congressional Republicans need to prove they take fiscal responsibility seriously: “American taxpayers do not want their hard-earned dollars funding superfluous government programs just because that is the way things have always been done,” Lamborn wrote on his congressional webpage.
The Coloradan introduced the bills to “permanently defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio. CPB received $445 million during Fiscal Year 2016, and this money could be put to better use rebuilding our military and enhancing our national security.”
CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.
CPB’s mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services. It does so by distributing more than 70% of its funding to nearly 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations.
CPB by the numbers:
- 410 grantees, representing 1,123 public radio stations
- 170 grantees, representing 366 public TV stations
- 220 of the total 580 grantees are considered rural
- 99% of Americans have access to public media
- More than 70% of CPB’s federal funding goes directly to local public media stations
- Less than 5% of funding is spent on CPB operations
- $1.35 – Average annual cost per American for public media
CPB strives to support diverse programs and services that inform, educate, enlighten and enrich the public. Through grants, CPB encourages the development of content that addresses the needs of underserved audiences, especially children and minorities. CPB's core values of collaboration, innovation, engagement, and diversity, help to inform program investments system-wide.
