Please Join 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting

If you love 91.7 KAXE and Northern Community Radio, keep reading!

Public broadcasting is the subject of a critical debate in Washington. The question under consideration is whether to keep funding public television and radio to ensure quality news and cultural programming for our communities–or not! 170 Million Americans listen to public radio stations like KAXE, or watch public TV, or use other kinds of public media every month.  If you are reading this blog, you’re one of that 170 million, and we’re asking you to add your voice to this debate. To do that, go to 170MillionAmericans.org and sign up for the 170 Million Americans campaign. When you register you will receive email updates about the status of this situation, and an occasional request to take action.

• More than half of all Americans use some form of public media every month.
  170 million Americans connect through 368 public television stations, 934 public radio stations, hundreds of online services, and in-person events and activities.
• Public broadcasting is one of the most effective public/private partnerships in America.
  Annual federal funding amounts to only $1.35 per American and is leveraged by local stations to raise six times that amount from other sources.
• Public broadcasting supports lifelong learning for all Americans.
  Investments in children’s educational, cultural, public affairs and news programming, digital classroom resources, teacher training, and distance learning have made public broadcasting a leader in lifelong learning.
• Public broadcasting strengthens our democracy. The free flow of ideas and debate helps us participate in the political process as informed citizens.
  

KAXE is proud to participate in the 170 Million Americans campaign. It’s an unprecedented collaboration of public radio and television stations, public broadcasting organizations, and listeners and viewers throughout the country, all in favor of strong public media in the United States. KAXE receives more than 1/4 of its $700,000 total budget through the combined investment of many citizens at the federal and state levels. KAXE relies more on federal and state support than most public broadcasting organizations do because we are a rural station. For any one person, this investment is very small, but when it's all put together it does a lot. Taking the "public" out of public broadcasting is a serious issue with many potential consequences. To help ensure the continued health of small stations like KAXE, and of large news and cultural organizations like NPR and PBS, go to 170MillionAmericans.org now and join the campaign. Thank you very much!