Michiana Public Media mobilizes for support, call to action

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Thursday, March 6, is Protect My Public Media Day. Stations like ABC57 are privately owned, even ABC Network is owned by Disney. Public media, on the other hand, gets some funding from the government, but the rest comes from the community it serves.

Stations like Michiana Public Media (WNIT) want to see those dollars stay intact, pushing for action on Thursday's Protect My Public Media Day.

ABC57's Annie Kate went behind the scenes at WNIT Wednesday to learn about its operations and funding.

National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), with stations across the country, are entities of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

"Congress allocates money to the corporation for public broadcasting, which, by the way, is 1/100 of one percent of the federal budget. So very small investment for the American public, for PBS stations to provide programs that don't have influence from commercial businesses," said Cindy McCraner, WNIT development department manager.

McCraner said at WNIT, about 25 percent of their budget comes from federal dollars. The rest is fundraised through member renewals, pledge drives, corporate underwritings, grants, and more.

"We can't do these local stories and save these stories for history without this funding," McCraner said.

That's why WNIT is mobilizing support for Protect My Public Media Day.

"Let the people know that control those purse strings that you do appreciate public broadcasting, and you want it to stick around and that it's important in the Michiana region," McCraner said.

Amid sweeping federal government workforce and funding cuts, many fear for the future of public media.

"The CEOs of PBS and NPR are going to be called in front of Congress. They have been warned that this is happening," McCraner said. "The current administration is going to be scrutinizing PBS stations."

Protect My Public Media Day is a nationwide effort to bolster support for public television and radio at a time when many government funds are no longer guaranteed.

"Our 24/7 kids channel right now is the most watched children's channel on television," McCraner said. "Everything we air is appreciated by people out in the community of Michiana. We have somewhere around 250-300,000 viewers a week."

"Nobody is saving the history of our local communities like PBS," she continued. "Nationwide, that's the story."