Pubradio correspondents win Polk Award

Two pubcasters are sharing a Polk Award. Alex Blumberg of "This American Life," produced by Chicago Public Radio and distributed by PRI, and Adam Davidson of NPR, won for their collaborative report, "The Giant Pool of Money," explaining the events leading up to the subprime mortgage crisis. The prestigious Polk Awards, bestowed by Long Island University, are named for George Polk, a journalist who died in May 1948 covering the Greek civil war.

Virgina pubcasting in danger of losing funding

The Virginia House Appropriations Committee wants to cut all contributions by the commonwealth to public broadcasting stations. The Senate Finance Committee and Gov. Tim Kaine requested cuts of 10 percent. A. Curtis Monk, head of Community Idea Stations, which runs PBS and NPR stations in Richmond and other cities, warned that if the budget zeros out funding there may have to be reductions in local productions, early childhood programs and local news reporting. Said D.J. Crotteau, station manager of PBS' WHTJ: “At cuts of this level, you’re looking at core services. There’s no way that services would not be affected.”