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U.S. GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
GPO
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2022
U.S. SENATE,
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS,
Washington, DC.
[CLERK'S NOTE.-The subcommittee was unable to hold hearings
on departmental and nondepartmental witnesses. The statements
and letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]
DEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
PREPARED STATEMENT OF AMERICA'S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS AND
THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE
On behalf of America's 158 public television licensees, we appreciate the oppor-
tunity to submit testimony for the record on the importance of federal funding for
local public television stations and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). We urge the
Subcommittee to support $565 million in two-year advance funding for the Corpora-
tion for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in FY 2024, $20 million for the Public Broad-
casting Interconnection System in FY 2022 and $30 million for the Ready To Learn
program at the Department of Education in FY 2022.
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING: $565 MILLION (FY 2024)
TWO-YEAR ADVANCE FUNDED
Public television plays a key role in educating our children; providing job training;
preserving our diverse, dynamic culture and democracy; and keeping Americans in-
formed, safe and healthy. Public television's essential services have never been more
critical than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when local public television stations
in all 50 states provided enhanced educational services and content to help support
students, families, teachers, and schools with the sudden challenge of virtual learn-
ing.
Federal funding for CPB is essential to making these services available to all
Americans, including those in rural and underserved areas, and this funding enjoys
the overwhelming support of the American people. At about $1.40 per person per
year, this funding provides an enormous return on investment for all Americans.
Yet these vital community-based services were level-funded at $445 million for a
decade-resulting in an approximate $100 million in lost purchasing power.
Recognizing this loss, we appreciate that Congress increased the forward funded
CPB appropriation by $20 million for FY 2022 and an additional $10 million for FY
2023.
While public broadcasting is grateful for these increases, The public broadcasting
system is still about $75 million, in inflation-adjusted dollars, behind where the sys-
tem was 10 years ago, at a time when it is bearing the costly expense of providing
access to content on ever emerging platforms and stations continue to offer more
and more essential services to their communities.
Public broadcasting respectfully requests that Congress take another substantial
step toward securing our current and future public service goals in the FY 2022 ap-
propriations process.
The $565 million that public broadcasting is requesting in FY 2022 for FY 2024
will help restore lost purchasing power and enable local stations to leverage ad-
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