The same week the state Senate Finance Subcommittee is proposing to zero out all funding for Alaska public broadcasting, President Trump released his first draft of a budget that proposes eliminating all federal funding for public media.

But there are ways to fight these proposals, together.

On the state side, the timing is crucial. Public testimony is being gathered until Friday, March 17 on Senate Bill 22. To get your voice on the record, send an email to finance.committee@akleg.gov and tell the committee why public media is important to you.

On the federal side, the president’s budget proposes eliminating all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by 2018. But there is more time to act on this proposal than the state one.

What you can do:
Read the details of the state and federal funding proposals below. Then follow the suggestions listed here. MOST IMPORTANTLY, please, spread the word! Tell your neighbors and friends why you are taking the time to comment, how easy it is, and how to do it. Encourage them with your reasons about why KHNS and public media is important to you!

On the state level
Public testimony on Senate Bill 22 is being accepted until Friday, March 17. To get your voice on the record, send an email to finance.committee@akleg.gov and tell the committee why public media is important to you.

You can also cc you email to our local representatives in Juneau to make sure they stay up to date with what issues concern their constituents.
Haines and Skagway representatives:
Rep. Sam Kito: Rep.Sam.Kito.III@akleg.gov
Sen. Dennis Egan: Senator.Dennis.Egan@akleg.gov

On the federal level
The timing isn’t as crunched, but in order to save funding for public media, we must start engaging our representatives in DC NOW. Don’t be intimidated; our representatives hear from constituents everyday and that interaction is crucial to making sure lawmakers know what citizens are concerned about. Be succinct, polite and to to the point, but be sure to emphasize why public media and broadcasting is important to you as an Alaskan.

Email Sen. Lisa Murkowski or call 202.224.6665
Email Sen. Dan Sullivan or call 202.224.3004.
Email Rep. Don Young or call 202.225.5765

To save time, you can call Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan’s Juneau office at 907.586.7277 to register a comment with both senators at once.

You can also sign this petition at http://protectmypublicmedia.org/ about the president’s budget proposal to eliminate the CPB.

Thanks for your support of public media. We will continue to keep you updated on both of these proposals.

Kay Clements
KHNS General Manager

About the threat to state funding
The Senate Finance Subcommittee closed out its budget and they propose to zero out all funding for Alaska public broadcasting. As part of the Alaska public broadcasting community, Alaska Public Media provides free over-the-air and online non-commercial public service programming and

About the threat to federal funding
The Corportaion for Public Broadcasting was created in 1967 and provides funding to help support nearly 1,500 public radio and television stations across the country, including KHNS.

CPB President Pat Harrison said elimination of federal funding “would initially devastate and ultimately destroy public media’s role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions — all for Americans in both rural and urban communities.”

And Paula Kerger, PBS president, noted that the cost of public broadcasting “is small, only $1.35 per citizen per year, and the benefits are tangible: increasing school readiness for kids 2-8, support for teachers and homeschoolers, lifelong learning, public safety communications and civil discourse.”

The plan also proposes elimination of the $148 million budget for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the same amount for the National Endowment for the Arts, which both fund public media content.