Trump cuts to PBS, public media jeopardizes N.J.’s access to free local news | Opinion

By Joe Lee

Recent proposals to rescind, cut, or eliminate public media funding are destructive and shortsighted. Cutting federal funding would leave many Americans without the critical services local public television and radio stations provide from proven education resources to essential lifesaving public safety services. The threat to NJ PBS, New Jersey’s statewide public media network, is dire.

Funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) – which distributes funds to public media and public radio stations nationwide – is less than 0.01% of the federal budget, costing taxpayers only $1.60 per person, per year.

More than “television”

NJ PBS is an integrated multiplatform content provider on broadcast, a website, YouTube channel, social media, podcast platforms and…