Newton Minow calls attacks on pubcasting funding "idealogically based"

Nell Minow, a corporate governance expert, today (March 14) blogged a chat she had with her father, pubcasting pioneer Newton Minow, about the current federal funding battle. With the budget being cut to control the soaring deficit, how can America justify spending tax dollars on public broadcasting? "All of us should work to reduce federal spending," Newton Minow replied. "Cuts should be made for all programs, but what is being proposed now are not cuts — the proposals are to eliminate and end public broadcasting completely. Current federal support for public broadcasting is about $1.35 per person per year — or about two cents per person per day. If cuts are made for all federal spending, obviously public broadcasting should share proportionately — but not be totally destroyed. Current proposals are ideologically based — not financially based." The interview appeared on BNET.com, CBS Interactive's business page.