As power shifts in Washington, public broadcasting has allies in key posts

The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States promises sweeping change in Washington (DC), and members of the public broadcasting community are naturally asking what that may mean for us. Let’s start with what hasn’t changed.

Three powerful congressional chairmen who support public broadcasting will continue in their key roles in both the House and Senate. Sen Thad Cochran (R-MI), a champion of public broadcasting since his father served as chairman of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Commission in the 1960s, continues as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sen Roy Blunt (R-MO), who has helped us secure funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Ready To Learn and our updated interconnection system, continues as chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, which oversees funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Rep Tom Cole (R-OK), who accepted the America’s Public Television Stations’ Champion of Public Broadcasting award at the Public Media Summit earlier in 2016 and has been an effective advocate for our federal funding, continues to lead the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education. In addition, the Republican majorities in Congress will retain the same leaders.