NPR CEO to Argue for Public Funding of Public Broadcasting in National Press Club Address

Vivian Schiller to Discuss the Future of Public Radio in an Age of Budget Cuts, March 7

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller is leading an effort to persuade Congress not to slash funding for public broadcasting. She will make her case at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on March 7.

“The elimination of federal funding would be a significant blow to nearly 900 public radio stations that serve the needs of more than 38 million Americans with free over-the-air programming they can’t find anywhere else,” Ms. Schiller said. “It would diminish stations’ ability to bring high-quality local, national and international news to their communities, as well as local arts, music and cultural programming that other media don’t present. Rural and economically distressed communities could lose access to this programming altogether if their stations go dark.”

Schiller started her NPR career two years ago – a time when the U.S. economy was plunging. The media organization’s corporate underwriting was shriveling and its stock investments tumbling. Schiller was being introduced to the staff just as NPR was laying off workers, eliminating programs, reducing salaries and slashing travel budgets.

But even in those hard times, Schiller pushed for innovation and excellence, especially in the digital world. (more…)