Squeeze on Public Broadcasting

While the Reagan Administration pumps millions in new funds into broadcasting to other nations through the Voice of America and Radio Marti, it is putting the double squeeze on the stations that consistently provide the best cultural and educational programming at home: America’s 444 public radio and television stations.

The fiscal screws are unrelenting. President Reagan twice vetoed 1987 appropriations bills for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, until the agency was cut from $253 million to $200 million. Now he wants to reduce that by $14 million more through the process known as recision--the taking back of money already approved by both legislative and executive branches. Fortunately, Congress can reject the proposal, and it should.

Even more disturbing is the news that the operators of the 266 national public radio stations have resorted to extraordinary action to maintain their independence from the corporation board, now dominated by Reagan appointees. The NPR station chiefs voted to finance NPR news operations individually through each station rather than through the 10-member corporation board.

The move was seen as a way to maintain the integrity of NPR’s excellent evening and morning news programs, “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition.” Even so, the future of the programs is not secure in view of the continuing fiscal attack on public broadcasting.

The United States remains a strong nation not just because of its nuclear might. Ideas, diversity of thought, discussion and knowledge also contribute to our security. Public broadcasting plays an important role in that process. But it must be kept financially healthy and politically independent.