March 14, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. —An article in the latest Public Broadcasting Report examines last week's controversy over comments NPR Foundation President Ron Schiller, who resigned after it was learned that he said that NPR "would be better
off in the long run without federal funding." The controversy also led to the resignation of the public radio network's CEO, Vivian Schiller.
The story notes, "Ron Schiller's statement about federal funding 'could flip senators who might otherwise support
public media,' said Kevin Howley, associate professor of communication at DePauw University. 'When the budget ax is falling, this is just the sort of comment that could provide politicians with all the
cover they need to defund public broadcasting.'"
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Kevin Howley is the editor of the textbook, Understanding Community Media and authored Community Media: People, Places, and Communication Technologies. In a recent column, he offered five reasons why public broadcasting should receive federal support. Read more here.