This is the last push to save public media!
On Feb. 19, the United States House of Representatives has passed a bill (H.R. 1) which will eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting – including NPR and PBS – where hundreds of AFTRA members are employed nationwide in news entertainment, public affairs, educational and arts programming. The Senate will now consider the bill and it could come to a vote at any moment! Please help us in this important last push to stop the public media funding cuts. Contact your Senators today to ask them vote NO to defund public media and preserve the funding for public broadcasting.
Here’s how you can help:
Click on the link below to write your Senators and tell them to save federal funding for public broadcasting!
Find your Senators through the following link:
Please call them at 202.224.3121 and ask him or her:
"WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON ‘ZEROING OUT’ THE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC MEDIA? I am a constituent who highly values the programming and services that my local public television and radio stations provide me, my family and my community. I strongly urge you to stand up for public broadcasting and oppose defunding public media. Please vote against the House Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting."
Federal funding is critical for public broadcasting, allowing local public radio and television stations to provide educational services, in-depth news and public affairs programming, and world-class cultural content. Without the investment of this funding, many public radio and television stations across the country will be forced to go off the air.
The Roper Poll found for seven straight years that Americans’ most-trusted source of news and information, and considered the best use of federal funding after national defense. It offers unique and vital programming that listeners and viewers can’t find anywhere else, including classic and invaluable children’s programming such as “Sesame Street.”
More than 70% of current federal funding for public media goes to support local stations around country. Defunding these stations will strip many Americans – especially those living in rural areas or places hardest hit by the downturn in the economy – of their only source of local news, entertainment and information, and their only access to the public airwaves.
DISCLAIMER: AFTRA is a union which is comprised of a variety of television and radio performers, including newspersons. The union's support of this initiative should not be interpreted to be the position of any individual member. As a policy matter and in accordance with the AFTRA National Constitutions, AFTRA does not raise funds or endorse political parties or candidates for publicly elected office.
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) is a national labor union representing over 70,000 performers, journalists and other artists working in the entertainment and news media.
AFTRA's scope of representation covers broadcast, public and cable television (news, sports and weather; drama and comedy, soaps, talk and variety shows, documentaries, children's programming, reality and game shows); radio (news, commercials, hosted programs); sound recordings (CDs, singles, Broadway cast albums, audio books); "non-broadcast" and industrial material as well as Internet and digital programming.
AFTRA's membership includes an array of talent - sound recording membership includes artists who bring pop, rock, country, classical, folk, jazz, comedy, Latin, hip hop, rap and R&B to the world. AFTRA members perform in television and radio advertising, non-broadcast video, audio books and messaging, and provide their skills for developing technologies such as interactive games and Internet material.
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