Democrats attack GOP cuts to public broadcasting nationwide, but back their own cuts to NJ PBS.
By Everet Rummel
After all these years, Republicans finally made their dream a reality: They defunded public media. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is going out of business. Local television and radio stations across the country will die, and many are already cutting back service.
I commend New Jersey’s Democratic Congress members for voting no. Sen. Andy Kim, in particular, released strong statements highlighting beloved PBS programs like Reading Rainbow, Mr. Rogers, and Sesame Street. Would these shows have ever gotten off the ground without crucial seed funding from the federal government and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
“These cuts, they’re going to hurt my state,” Kim said.
NJ PBS will lose $1.5 million in federal funds. New Jersey-based radio stations will lose over $590 million.
But Kim should advise the Democrats running New Jersey to undo their own attack on public media.
New Jersey’s Democrat-controlled government just cut state funding for NJ PBS from $1 million to $250,000. My state legislators down here in the 3rd Legislative District — state Sen. John Burzichelli and Assembly members Heather Simmons and Dave Bailey Jr. — denounced proposed “fun taxes” on bowling and gambling, but not “fun cuts” to children’s television and local history.
Instead, Democrats prioritize their regressive Stay NJ program that will finally bring property tax relief to some of our richest residents. But it’s unclear how the next governor, and whichever legislators remain in office after November’s Assembly elections, will cover its full $1.2 billion bill.
For just about 0.6% of Stay NJ’s cost, the state could undo its NJ PBS cuts, bring funding back to its 2010 level (adjusted for inflation), and cover lost federal funds for both NJ PBS and New Jersey-based radio stations. While we’re at it, we may want to undo Chris Christie’s destruction of our public radio network. Or perhaps send funds to WHYY so they can expand programming for South Jersey. Rural areas, after all, are going to get hit the worst when public media fades away.
While we wait for our leaders to get the memo, I encourage all who can afford it to become an NJ PBS member and donate to nonprofit newsrooms. While for-profit media mostly provides us with “a vast wasteland of mediocrity”, public media offers an alternative less beholden to advertisers and investors, punching well above its weight for content quality despite decades of funding constraints — and now funding cuts.
Everet Rummel lives in Glassboro.
