Last week, our Director and General Manager Stewart Vanderwilt joined the Austin Chamber of Commerce delegation of business and civic leaders visiting Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators about Central Texas priorities, which include continued support for local public broadcasting via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Stewart, along with KLRU-TV CEO Bill Stotesbery, met with staff members from the offices of Senator Cornyn and Cruz, as well staff members from the offices of Representatives Carter, Doggett, Farenthold, McCaul, Smith and Williams.
The goal of the visit was to educate lawmakers on how federal funding via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting supports local communities through grants to produce local and state news important to Texas, including “Texas Standard,” the only statewide news program in Texas.
They also stressed importance of funding for stations in rural communities, which will be hurt the most by funding cuts.
Stewart reports that the trip was positive overall. “We raised our visibility with our representatives, while educating them on the role CPB funding plays in local communities – in Austin and around the country.”
We’ll continue to educate lawmakers on the importance of CPB grants in local communities. In the meantime, you can contact your representatives through the Protect My Public Media website and check our CPB FAQ page for updates.
Questions or comments? Stewart is happy to hear your thoughts.
