Disclaimer -- I am a PBS/NPR affiliate employee.
As many of you read on Friday in a variety of diaries here as well as in the Washinton Post, a House appropriations subcommittee led by Ralph Regula has severely hacked public broadcasting funding.
Some of the comments on Friday repeated (I'm sure unintentionally) the right-wing philosophy that it's "only" 15% of PBS' funding. That's not entirely accurate -- there are a variety of other programs outside that figure, including Ready to Learn. It reaches to your local NPR affiliate in the form of removing digital broadcasting funds.
Finally, the PBS establishment has awoken (ok, not PBS, but their lobbying support organization, APTS) and is urging action on the part of the local stations.
You'll be seeing locally-produced spots on your PBS affiliate and hopefully hearing them on your NPR affiliate.
Regardless of what seems to be a prevailing opinion that it will die on the House floor ("nobody wants to be responsible for killing Big Bird") NOW is the time to take action. Don't believe they don't have the heart to kill PBS and NPR. They DO. Let them hear you now instead of vowing to take them out after the deal is done.
Action on the House floor is likely to take place later this week or early next. For info on what YOU can do, visit the above APTS link or go to FreePress.net.
Thanks for your help!