Recently seated FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty says the withdrawal of previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting “does not signal the end of public media.”
“Instead, it presents an opportunity for innovation, partnerships and more localized decision-making. As a regulator, I will continue to support policies that promote access and competition in media, without presupposing that one model of funding or content creation should be immune from public scrutiny or reform.”
[Related: NAB Lays Out Its Policy Goals in Meeting With Trusty]
Trusty is a Republican and was confirmed to the FCC by the Senate in June. Congress last week approved a “clawback” of $1.1 billion for public broadcasting at the behest of President Trump.
“I am mindful of the longstanding role that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has played in supporting educational and cultural programming across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas,” Trusty wrote.
“However, Americans are increasingly skeptical of media institutions, with trust in media at historic lows. That reality cannot be ignored. It is not unreasonable for taxpayers to expect transparency, accountability and balance from any outlet receiving federal support.
“Nor is it unreasonable for Congress to reassess whether public funding models established in a different media era remain justified today, especially when Americans have more access to more content from more sources than ever before.”
By contrast, Democratic Commissioner Anna M. Gomez last week described the congressional vote as “a key step in a coordinated campaign to silence public media, and the latest attempt by this administration to censor and control speech.”
Gomez wrote, ”We’ve yet to see any effort to probe, defund or threaten news outlets that support the government’s views, and there’s a reason for that. This has never been about saving money. It’s about silencing those who report the news accurately, without fear or favor.”
Gomez said the true cost will be felt most by small and rural communities.
“The FCC is playing a dangerous game with its own baseless attacks on public broadcast stations. Its role should be to protect and expand the public’s access to timely, accurate news that is free from political interference,” Gomez said.
[Related: “Gomez Warns of Trump Efforts to ‘Censor and Control’”]
