Noncommercial stations continued on their path toward full funding-plus even as the President has tried to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Related: House Moves Toward Funding Boost for CPB
The House Appropriations Committee Monday (July 13) proposed a $515 million budget for CPB for fiscal year 2023. CPB, which hands out government subsidies to noncommercial TV and radio, is forward funded in an effort to de-politicize the process.
The noncom funding was included in a 2021 Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which was favorably reported out of the committee in a bipartisan vote. It's next stop is a vote in the full House.
“America’s Public Television Stations are most grateful that the House Appropriations Committee has recommended an appropriation of $515 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for Fiscal Year 2023,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations.
APTS was also pleased that the committee has decided to fund Ready to Learn to the tune of $30 million. That is the grant program in the Department of Education that supports early childhood learning, particularly for lower income kids. That is a $1 million increase over RTL's previous funding.
The money will come in handy as public stations try to keep stay-at-home kids both educated and entertained during the pandemic.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies had recommended the full committee approve the $151, as well as $20 million for the interconnection facilities that allow the local stations to carry national programming, which the full committee also approved.
The fate of RTL had been unclear in the subcommittee, but the full committee approved that as well.
