This past Thursday, The House voted to end federal funding to National Public Radio. Last year, NPR reportedly received almost $5 million in federal funding in fiscal year 2010, while its revenues included $2.8 million in dues and $63 million programming fees from local stations. The new bill, which passed 228-192, now bars federal funding to NPR and prohibits local stations from paying for NPR programs and dues with federal money.
While Republican supporters claim that the bill simply makes fiscal sense and that tax payers’ money should stop being spent on such a service, Democratic opponents felt the bill was the conservatives way to attach NPR for its heavily liberal programming such as “Car Talk” and “All Things Considered.” It didn’t help, though, that video of an NPR fundraiser voicing his opinions about “Tea Partiers” leaked online. Even the White House voiced their concern about the bill, releasing a statement pleading to “save public radio” prior to the voting. Yet it would appear that did very little to help as well.
This blow to NPR is especially unfortunate for its music programs, since many bands (even metal ones) have recently seen a nice boost in sales and popularity thanks to NPR. While it’s arguable about how badly this bill will effect NPR, it certainly isn’t too promising for them either.
[via Huffington Post]
