Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has proposed cutting state aid to public television and radio by 42 percent in the next two fiscal years.
State policymakers allocated $1.04 million to Kansas pubcasters for fiscal 2013. Under the budget proposal unveiled by Republican Gov. Brownback Jan. 16, the total subsidy would drop to $600,000 annually in fiscal 2014 and 2015.
Gov. Brownback has previously targeted for public broadcasting even deeper spending cuts: for fiscal 2012, he sought to completely eliminate state aid. Last year he budgeted $600,000 for pubcasting, but legislators increased the appropriation to $1.04 million.
In his latest budget, the governor calls for public broadcasters to continue to push for self-sufficiency.
“The Governor also recommends that public broadcasting stations continue to find additional ways to generate additional funding.”