Senator Tom Coburn Challenges Government Funding for NPR and Public Broadcasting

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) believes that American taxpayers should not be forced to fund public broadcasting, including NPR, which receives $3.3 million annually from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. During an interview on FOX News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Coburn argued that with a national debt of $13.6 trillion, the federal government should not continue to spend $400 million a year on government-subsidized media.

Key Takeaways:

• Senator Tom Coburn proposes eliminating government funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which would effectively end NPR's annual $3.3 million subsidy.
• Coburn believes that public broadcasting is no longer necessary due to the abundance of media options available and that the federal government should not be involved in media manipulation.
• The Senator suggests that the government's role in funding public broadcasting is a form of censorship, as it allows one party to dictate editorial content.
• Coburn plans to offer an amendment on the appropriation process to de-fund public broadcasting, arguing that the American people will ultimately decide on this issue.
• The Senator emphasizes the need for Congress to listen to the American people and prioritize fiscal responsibility in the face of trillion-dollar deficits.
• Public broadcasting receives a total of $400 million annually from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which Senator Coburn believes is unnecessary and wasteful.

Statistics:

• $400 million: the annual funding given to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
• $3.3 million: the annual subsidy received by NPR from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
• $13.6 trillion: the national debt of the United States.

Sources:

• "The O'Reilly Factor" interview with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) on FOX News Channel, October 22, 2010.
• Federal News Service, Inc., Ste. 500, 1000 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA.