|
 |
Townhall...
Why NPR Should Urge
Congress to End Its Subsidy
By Michael Barone
What do they put in the water cooler over at NPR? First, they fire Juan
Williams in October for comments he made on Fox News Channel -- and
Vivian Schiller, the CEO of public radio, smilingly suggests he needs
to have his head examined.
This week, a sting video shows NPR Foundation President Ron Schiller
(no relation) saying that tea party activists were “seriously racist”
and telling two purported Muslim program underwriters that there aren’t
enough “non-Zionist” news organizations.
Vivian Schiller and Ron Schiller both have been forced to resign. But,
with a new, large Republican majority in the House of Representatives,
NPR leaders could hardly have done a better job of persuading Congress
to zero out public radio funding.
NPR’s response to defunding threats has been incoherent. Its spokesmen
point out that NPR itself receives relatively little public money. But
then they saying defunding would be disastrous because more money goes
to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public radio
stations that buy NPR programming.
Let me offer what is intended as a helpful suggestion to NPR: Don’t
fight defunding. Instead, work with Congress to get NPR and CPB off the
public payroll.
It may be painful in the short run. But in the long run, you’ll be a
better organization -- and you won’t have to worry about pleasing
politicians.
There’s a precedent pretty closely on point: the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. Back in 1994, when Republicans unexpectedly won
majorities in both houses of Congress, the National Trust was suddenly
threatened with a fund cutoff.
The organization had been campaigning against a proposed theme park
near the Manassas battlefield in Northern Virginia, which made some
congressional Republicans angry. Congress seemed likely to cut off the
one-third of National Trust funding that came from the federal
government.
Rather than fight that effort, Dick Moe, then head of the National
Trust and before that a longtime top aide to Walter Mondale, decided to
join it. He approached Ralph Regula, the chairman of the House
Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction, and proposed a
three-year draw-down of federal funding.
That would give his organization enough time to develop alternative
sources of funding, he thought. And, as he correctly judged, it took
the wind from the sails of those Republicans who wanted funds cut off
immediately.
In retrospect, Moe has said, it was the best thing that could have
happened to his organization. It prompted the National Trust to reach
out to citizens and donors who shared its vision. And it allowed the
organization to take politically controversial stands without fear of
political retribution.
The National Trust is thriving today. It has undertaken major projects,
like a splendid restoration of James Madison’s home, Montpelier. It
publishes a first-rate magazine. It has developed a large constituency
of contributors (I give a few bucks every year) who appreciate its
work. It does not have to do the bidding of political masters.
NPR today has a much larger constituency than the National Trust had 16
years ago and much less dependence on federal support. It has a news
product of great distinctiveness and, many believe, high quality. It
has millions of loyal followers, many of them already contributors.
Much if not all of NPR’s programming already attracts thinly (and
irritatingly) disguised advertising. I’m sure the NPR demographic is
one many other advertisers would like to target.
At the same time, the case for government support of public
broadcasting is far weaker than it was in the 1960s and 1970s, when
there was far less variety in broadcasting and more reason to doubt
that public radio could come up with a commercially viable product.
“It is very clear that in the long run we would be better off without
federal funding,” Ron Schiller told the pretend Muslims in the sting
video.
“I just think and believe and totally expect that they can survive in
the private market,” says Rep. Doug Lamborn, who is leading the move to
defund NPR in the House.
When you have both sides in such agreement, it’s obviously time to make
a deal. The Schillers’ hamhandedness has made defunding likely. NPR and
CPB have a window of opportunity to shape the terms and conditions of
defunding. If they have any doubts, they should call Dick Moe.
Read it at Townhall
|
|
|
|
