State Senator Shelley Mayer and 24 of her legislative colleagues in both the Senate and Assembly voiced their strong support for New York’s public broadcast stations – both radio and television – after losing $28.4 million in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
These cuts have already had devastating consequences. Across New York, 26 programs have been canceled, 15 shows have been suspended or reduced, and 134 public broadcasting jobs have been eliminated. Stations are being forced to cut back on critical programming in education, public affairs, cultural enrichment, and public safety.
Among those being eliminated are locally produced and nationally recognized programs such as Behind the Woman and coverage of NYS Special Olympics in Syracuse. Buffalo is losing educational TV programming Compact History, Compact Science, and Compact Civics. WNET, covering NYC and the suburbs, is losing Cyberchase and Ready to Learn. Here is a full list of the programs New York will lose or see reductions in.
Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I thank my colleagues for standing with me in support of New York’s public broadcasting stations. These stations provide essential, high-quality programming that informs, educates, and connects communities across our state. These federal cuts will be felt by all, but especially by children, families, seniors, and those in rural communities who rely on these trusted platforms everyday. I am grateful to the many advocates who continue to speak out, including Christopher Goeken, Executive Director of the Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York. I remain committed to fighting for the resources New York needs to address these federal cuts and will continue working to secure critical funding in the final State Budget to ensure that public broadcasting can continue to serve all New Yorkers.”
The video also included: Senators Jamaal T. Bailey, Jeremy Cooney, Patricia Fahy, Nathalia Fernandez, Kristen Gonzalez, Pete Harckham, Robert Jackson, Jessica Ramos, Luis Sepulveda, José M. Serrano, James Skoufis, Lea Webb, and Jeremy Zellner; and Assemblymembers Chris Burdick, Robert Carroll, Michael Cashman, Sarah Clark, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Charles Levine, Donna Lupardo, John T. McDonald III, Amy Paulin, Gabrielle Romero, and MaryJane Shimsky.
