Move On Action Alert on Budget Cuts to NPR and PBS

Dear MoveOn member,Since Thursday afternoon, 370,018 of us have called on Congress to stopPresident Bush's budget cuts and save NPR and PBS. 370,000 of us in just36 hours!Can you help make it half a million signatures? Here's what the petitionsays: "Congress must save NPR and PBS once and for all. Congress shouldguarantee permanent funding and independence from partisan meddling." Justclick here to add your name:http://civ.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/Every additional signer will mean more pressure on Congress to block thiscut and make sure this kind of partisan meddling never happens again.President Bush cannot be allowed to slash strong journalism and shows like"Sesame Street."We've won this fight before. Together, we can make sure we never have toconfront this issue again.Thanks,--Noah, Joan, Carrie, Marika and the MoveOn.org Civic Action Team  Saturday, February 10th, 2007P.S. Here's the email we sent on Thursday that lays out the wholesituation:---------------------------------------------------------------------------Clicking here will add your name:[IMG] Dear MoveOn member,George W. Bush is trying--yet again--to slash funding for NPR and PBS.This week, Bush proposed a new budget with devastating cuts to publicbroadcasting [1]. "Sesame Street" and other ad-free kids' shows are underthe knife. So is the independent journalism our country needs.Enough is enough. We've fought this fight before and won--but we can'tafford the risk anymore. With the new Congress, we can make sure thisnever happens again. We need Congress to insulate NPR and PBS from thepolitical winds.We can make it happen if enough of us sign this petition: "Congress mustsave NPR and PBS once and for all. Congress should guarantee permanentfunding and independence from partisan meddling." Clicking here will addyour name to the petition:http://civ.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/After you sign, please forward this email to your friends, family, andco-workers to keep this campaign going. We'll deliver the petition tomembers of Congress as they consider Bush's budget--offering a publiccounterpoint to this dangerous attack.Congress can protect NPR and PBS from future cuts. The long-term solutionto save public radio and TV is to:  * fully restore this year's funding  * guarantee a permanent funding stream free from political pressure  * reform how the money is spent and keep partisan appointees from    pushing a political biasBush's budget would cut federal funds for public broadcasting by nearly25% [1]. According to PBS, the cuts "could mean the end of our ability tosupport some of the most treasured educational children's series" like"Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and "Arthur." [2]As telecommunications chair Rep. Ed Markey said, "In a 24-7 televisionworld with content often inappropriate for young children, the publicbroadcasting system represents an oasis of quality, child-orientededucational programming. We owe America's children and their parents thisfree, over-the-air resource." [1]The cuts could also decimate one of the last remaining sources of watchdogreporting on TV--continuing the partisan war on journalism led by theex-chair of public broadcasting, Ken Tomlinson [3]. More people trustpublic broadcasting than any corporate news media [4]. President Bushwould rather undermine our free press than face reporters who are askingtough questions.Let's put an end to the constant threats to NPR and PBS. Let's askCongress to guarantee funding and stop partisan meddling. Clicking herewill add your name to the petition:http://civ.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/Thank you for all you do.--Noah, Marika, Eli, Adam G. and the MoveOn.org Civic Action Team  Thursday, February 8th, 2007P.S. Our friends at Free Press have more on how to save NPR and PBS onceand for all:http://www.freepress.net/publicbroadcasting/=policySources:1. "Bush Proposes Steep Cut to PBS Funding," TV Week, February 5, 2007http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=115082. PBS' Ready to Learn program (funds "Sesame Street" and other children'sshows)http://www.pbs.org/readytolearn/3. "Tomlinson Slinks Away," MediaCitizen, November 3, 2005http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2347&id=9861-6772626-vig9IcKIhBnollJDu9w2Ag&t=54. "2005 'Open to the Public' Objectivity and Balance Report," Corporationfor Public Broadcasting, January 31, 2006http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/goals/objectivity/