Proposed funding cuts for public broadcasting!

Recently two U.S. House subcommittes have voted to cut funding to, and eventually eliminate, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This could have a huge impact on PBS television and MPR radio (including the new awesome station, The Current!) Federal funding accounts for about 10% of MPR's budget. If the cuts go through, huge changes could be in place which could affect the quality and variety of public broadcasting.
The vote is scheduled to take place on the floor of the House of Rep's on June 22nd. If you are a fan of public broadcasting and would like to see it continue, please contact your legistlators. For more information, go to www.mpr.org

Below are some message points I copied from the MPR website.

Message Points

The following message points may be helpful as you draft an e-mail or prepare for a phone call to your Senators and Representatives:

• Support restoration of funding for FY 2006 that is equal to current funding.
  
  
• Support reinstatement of two-year advance funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a funding mechanism that protects program creation from political influence.
  
  
• Oppose the rescission of advanced funding already earmarked for stations by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
  
  
• Oppose the elimination of the vitally important Public Telecommunications Facilities Program.
  
  
• Oppose the elimination of funding for public broadcasting's digital transition.
  
  
• Oppose the elimination of irreplaceable early-learning initiatives, such as public television's Ready to Learn.
  
  
• Oppose the elimination of funds to renew and replace public television's satellite interconnection system.
  
  
• These proposed funding cuts will have a severe impact on public radio and public television stations, especially those serving rural and minority audiences.
  
  
• Many of these stations are the primary sources of news, information, public safety and cultural programming to their communities.