Cato Institute analyst lays out case for defunding pubcasting

Public broadcasting “suffers the main downside of public funding — political influence and control — yet enjoys little of the upside — a significant taxpayer contribution that would relieve it of the need to seek corporate underwriting and listener donations,” writes Trevor Burrus, a legal associate at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies, in his policy analysis released today (May 21) titled, “If You Love Something Set It Free: A Case for Defunding Public Broadcasting.”

Burrus writes that PBS and NPR “produce some excellent programming.” However, he believes a government-funded institution should be necessary, prudent, and, most important, “authorized by our Constitution. Public broadcasting fails all three tests.”

The analysis is available free for download here.

The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C., which supports individual liberties and limited government.