Nonprofits Fight for Air

Nonprofits Fight for Air: "Nonprofits Fight for Air
PBS Advocates Combat Politics, Cuts

By Brooks Boliek

Brooks Boliek writes for The Hollywood Reporter.

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(Editor's note: The political struggle expands over the philosophical direction and funding of public television, a major avenue for bringing both classical and modern arts performances to audiences nationwide.)

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers and public interest groups are attempting to derail the selection of a new president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, accusing the board's chairman of trying to ram through a GOP political operative in order to give public broadcasting a right-wing bias.

Common Cause, the Center for Digital Democracy and Free Press delivered 150,000 petitions to CPB on Monday urging board chairman Kenneth Tomlinson to stop efforts to influence programming on PBS and NPR. MoveOn.org, Action for Children's television, the National PTA and Children NOW are planning a Wednesday rally and are scheduled to present a 900,000-signature petition to Congress to undo spending cuts that could slash federal funding to public broadcasting by nearly 50%."