Upcoming Virginia budget may zero out public radio, governor says

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday (Oct. 26) his next state budget might eliminate support for public radio in the state, according to Bloomberg Business Week. McDonnell is drafting amendments to the final year of the current two-year budget. McDonnell noted that the possibility of funding cuts had nothing to do with the recent controversy over NPR's firing of correspondent Juan Williams. "It's the principle of the thing: Do we need to subsidize a radio station when the free market is working very well?" McDonnell said. The current budget appropriates nearly $2 million for pubTV and pubradio, and another $2.2 million for educational telecommunications and radio reading services. McDonnell had previously attempted to zero out funding for all pubcasting in the state, but legislators restored the support in April.