Public broadcasters in Pennsylvania are urging supporters to let their voices be heard in Harrisburg, as legislators consider completely cutting funding to Pennsylvania's branches of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
PBS stations, including Central Pennsylvania's WPSU-TV, are teaming up with other organizations that support libraries, museums and the arts across the state to advocate for the programs' spot in the budget.
The coalition has petitioned state legislators who have proposed the $7.9 million cut in financial assistance, and Gov. Ed Rendell. The petition has already gathered the support of 15,000 Pennsylvanians, said Greg Petersen, director of programming services for WPSU-TV.
"We understand it's a tough budget, but to go from something to zero, it seems unjust and unfair," Petersen said. "One hundred-percent cut is not our fair share."
The station will likely take the hit hardest when it comes to local programming, Petersen said. It's already eliminated eight jobs and canceled two local programs over the summer, said Bianca Barr, senior promotions associate at WPSU-TV, and the station stands to lose approximately $850,000 in the proposed budget. State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, one of the nine politicians targeted by the petition, called the unprecedented cut a necessary evil. The state legislature has been forced to find new ways to cut back on expenses, he said.
"It is always important to keep taxes low, especially at a recession time," Corman said. "Fortunately, we have a philanthropic community that raises so much money for these types of organizations."
But WPSU-TV says it has also been hit by a reduced number of individual donations from "viewers like you" -- a "double whammy," Petersen said.
Petersen also saw discrepancies in the government's message on the funding cuts. He said the governor likes to tout the importance of education, but he finds it hypocritical to completely cut funding to PBS stations that do so much for learning.
There is some good news: Penn State's financial contributions to the station are holding steady, Petersen said.
The station is licensed to the Penn State Board of Trustees, but may be "expected to pick up more of our own costs going forward," he said.
