Public Broadcasting slams Trump budget for scrapping ‘essential national service’

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) on Thursday morning criticized President Trump’s proposed budget, saying its elimination of funding for CPB would have “devastating” effects on education and culture.

“There is no viable substitute for federal funding that ensures Americans have universal access to public media’s educational and informational programming and services,” the CPB said in a statement, according to CNN’s Brian Stelter.

{mosads}“The elimination of federal funding to CPB would initially devastate and ultimately destroy public media’s role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions — all for Americans in both rural and urban communities.”

Trump’s proposed budget would scrap CPB, which provides funding for PBS and National Public Radio stations.

The budget would also completely eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities as part of a budget package that would boost defense spending by $54 billion.

CPB called public media “one of America’s best investments.”

“We will work with the new administration and Congress in raising awareness that elimination of federal funding to CPB begins the collapse of the public media system itself and the end of the essential national service.”

Corporation for Public Broadcasting is out with a response to Trump’s proposal to sever federal $$ for public media pic.twitter.com/76QyJmcB4z

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 16, 2017