Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 17, 1994 TAG: 9412190069
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Speaking on his weekly television program on the National Empowerment Network, Gingrich took aim at another layer of what he considers the liberal media. The Georgia Republican said he planned to ``zero out,'' or eliminate financing for, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances public television and radio stations around the country and provides seed money to start programs like ``Sesame Street.''
``One of the things we're going to do this year, I hope, is to zero out the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which has been eating taxpayers' money,'' Gingrich said last week on the conservative cable channel.
He also said that the nearly $300 million the corporation gets in federal money amounted to having the public pay taxes ``involuntarily'' for what he called biased television.
Created by Congress in 1967, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes federal money to about 1,000 public television and radio stations and groups, including the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio.
The broadcasters use the money for a range of things that includes buying equipment, attracting corporate financing for new programming and providing educational and training courses for local communities. About 180 million people listen to or watch public broadcasting stations each month.
Richard W. Carlson, president and chief executive of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, defended his operation.
``If CPB ceased to exist, more than a thousand community radio and television stations would be seriously jeopardized,'' he said.
by CNB