[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10558]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   AN OVERVIEW ON PUBLIC BROADCASTING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, we of the Public Broadcasting Caucus 
are pleased to share with our colleagues this evening some very good 
news from the world of public broadcasting. The Overseas Press Club has 
presented NPR with the 2002 Lowell Thomas Award for the series ``The 
Mideast: A Century of Conflict.'' This groundbreaking seven-part 
series, which aired on NPR's Morning Edition last fall, tells the 
history of the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
  Veteran NPR News correspondent Mike Shuster researched, reported, and 
chronicled this in-depth series on the key moments in the history of 
the struggle between the two peoples. It covered the early Zionist 
movement during the turn of the 20th Century and traced the 
intensifying conflict between Jews and Palestinians during the years of 
the British mandate, leading up to David Ben-Gurion's announcement of 
the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
  ``The Mideast: A Century of Conflict,'' also explored the events that 
led up to the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the first Intifada, and 
the Oslo Peace Process. It concluded with investigations on the reason 
why the Oslo Peace Process collapsed and how and why the second 
Intifada started.
  Kevin Klose, NPR's president and CEO, put it best when he said, 
``This series tells the history of the confrontation using radio to 
bring the views of leading historians of the region to air, documenting 
the deep and conflicting roots of today's Middle East. The series 
touches on the beliefs and emotions that motivate both sides.''
  Madam Speaker, it was no surprise when the Peabody Awards were 
recently announced for excellence in television and radio; public 
broadcasting was honored with one-third of those over-30 awards. This 
is part of why one in seven adults listens to public radio by tuning 
into more than 700 stations which carry NPR programming. Each week, 
over 20 million Americans listen to NPR, an audience that exceeds the 
top 35 U.S. daily newspapers combined.
  When we consider this figure, along with 100 million people who watch 
public television each week, we see the profound reach of public 
broadcasting stations. They connect people with their local community, 
their Nation, and their world in a way that no other outlet can or 
does.
  The caliber of public broadcasting is unmatched by any other 
programming. Public radio and public television provide valuable 
commercial-free educational, informational, and cultural programming 
for communities all across America.
  But it is not just an addition; it is not just an add-on and a frill. 
Many communities rely on public broadcasting stations as their only 
source of news and information. Some even use the public broadcasting 
system for day-to-day or emergency communications, such as AMBER Alerts 
and severe weather detection. As we work to improve our hometown 
security, Federal funding for these services is increasingly important.
  Sadly, the future is cloudy. Nationally, while 41 States have public 
broadcasting operations, the source of the State support, which 
averages $7 million a year, is in jeopardy. Given the current times of 
economic slowdown and State budget crises, many stations are facing 
severe financial cuts.
  I am sad to say in my home State of Oregon, which faces one of the 
Nation's worst budget deficits, our State is considering eliminating 
funding for Oregon Public Broadcasting altogether. Even though only 6 
percent of that $33 million budget for the last 2 years comes from 
State funding, slightly more than $2 million, right now the loss of any 
of that funding is compounded by the recession and the squeeze on 
corporate and individual donors.
  Oregon is not alone in its public broadcasting cuts. Minnesota's 
Governor has recommended a 25 to 35 percent reduction in its public 
broadcasting budget. But there are some States that are standing firm. 
I was pleased to note that Nebraska, for example, reaffirmed its 
commitment to public broadcasting. Despite a 14 percent shortfall in 
its biannual budget, it will maintain its yearly State funding of 
approximately $8 million.
  Madam Speaker, we are all in this together: the Federal and State 
governments, our listeners, viewers and private sector donors. This is 
all the more reason for us to keep our commitment to public 
broadcasting. If we do not, many of the award-winning programs, like 
the one I just mentioned, ``The Mideast: A Century of Conflict,'' will 
be at risk. All of us need to do our part, whether elected officials or 
individual listeners, to support this critical national resource.

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