Trump budget would devastate America’s public television stations

[Commentary]  President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for public television rests on the erroneous assumption that public television can rely exclusively on private support. Without the federal investment, this universal service would be impossible. 

The federal investment in public broadcasting represents one-hundredth of 1 percent of the federal budget (about $1.35 per American per year). Surveys conducted by Linda Divall and Peter Hart have found that 76 percent of voters want this funding maintained or increased, and 83 percent of voters (including 70 percent who voted for President Trump) would tell their elected representatives to find other places to save money. Federal funding remains the foundation for this remarkable record of public service, and we hope our representatives in Congress will continue to support the work their constituents value so highly.

[Patrick Butler is president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, and was a founder of the Times Mirror Center for The People & The Press, now operating as the Pew Research Center.]