Breaking the Deal:

While all programs can expect a little pain in a tight budget year, the cuts proposed for public broadcasting now before the House Appropriations Committee (45% cut in Fall 2005, zero funding in two years) attempt to dismantle a sucessful public/private partnership that has enriched public life in the US for decades. Taxpayer contributions to North Country Public Radio generate four dollars in private support for every tax dollar received--an enviable record for any federal program. Many public stations will not survive this level of funding cut. Those that will, and I number NCPR among them, will be hobbled in their efforts to fulfill important aspects of their public service mission. Hardest hit will be rural and small market stations that have less in the way of alternative support resources.