PBS and NPR on edge over FCC letter and Trump budget scrutiny

Forty years ago, the Reagan administration told PBS to find ways to increase funding for public television outside of taxpayer dollars. It did. PBS’ response to the challenge was to enhance the way it acknowledged sponsors. Instead of merely running a company logo before its programming, PBS let corporate underwriters place messages that looked more like standard commercials. That process helped sustain such programs as “Nova,” “Masterpiece” and Ken Burns’ acclaimed documentaries. But it’s now under scrutiny from Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who says the spots “cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.” In a Jan. 30 letter to PBS and NPR, which also airs corporate sponsorship messages, Chairman Carr stated his support for ending federal funding of public broadcasting. “For my own part, I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS,” he wrote, citing the array of media choices available to consumers.