PBS stations would survive defunding

Local operations expect 10% cuts in broadcast budgets.

If President Donald Trump’s desire to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting comes to fruition, it would not be a death knell for the two Atlanta-based public broadcasting operations.

Georgia Public Broadcasting, which covers the state with nine television stations and 18 radio stations including 88.5/WRAS-FM and WGTV locally, would lose about 10 percent of its revenue. Public Broadcasting Atlanta, which focuses on metro Atlanta with 90.1/ WABE-FM and PBA 30, would also have to trim by about 10 percent.

Combined, CPB provides the two operations almost $5 million to support their programming dues, or 1.1 percent of CPB’s annual $445 million budget. CPB was created in 1967 to provide broad access to noncommercial content and telecommunications services nationwide. It now helps fund about 1,500 stations.

As PBA Chief Executive Officer Wonya Lucas noted, stations in big cities like hers can bear the brunt better than rural ones. “All stations are not created equal,” Lucas said. “Those in large urban areas will be fine. The rural stations will lose a much greater percentage of their budgets and could shut down.” According to a recent New York Times story, some stations rely on CPB for as much as 35 percent of their funding.

PBS (“Frontline,” “Masterpiece,” “PBS NewsHour”) and NPR (“Morning Edition,” “Fresh Air,” “All Things Considered”) operate like co-ops, where stations help pay for programming. GPB chief development officer Bert Huffman said if many smaller stations fold, that would place a greater burden on operations like his. “It would be like a domino effect,” he said.

GPB, with an annual budget of $34.5 million, is one of the largest public broadcasting operations in the nation. About 55 percent of GPB’s funding comes from state and federal funding. That’s how it’s able to sustain operations in less populated parts of Georgia where underwriting and individual donations are relatively scarce.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, GPB received $15 million from the state through the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

CPB gave GPB $3.4 million, a contribution that has been fairly consistent in recent years.

Huffman said he expects state support to remain steady.

During its last fiscal year, GPB spent nearly $3 million more than it took in, partly due to a drop in capital grants and facility rentals, according to a 2016 audit. Huffman said fiscal year 2017 is looking better across the board, with more money from individual donors and underwriters.

PBA saw revenue rise 13 percent year over year for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, to $14.7 million. CPB provided $1.4 million of that funding. PBA, which had a deficit of $380,000 for fiscal year 2015, swung to a surplus of $312,000 in fiscal year 2016 under the leadership of Lucas, who took over in 2015.

The Atlanta Public Schools owns PBA but does not contribute a dime to the operation. About 87 percent of PBA’s revenue stream comes from individuals and underwriting.