MB Civic

The House Appropriations Committee voted to reduce funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and refused to allocate any money to it for 2009, Reuters reported. The committee is giving $400 million to the corporation for fiscal 2007, but also voted on Tuesday to eliminate spending for its conversion to digital television and for Ready to Learn grants, which contribute to some children’s shows. The corporation said the public broadcasting budget had been reduced by 17.4 percent by the committee vote. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is at the center of debates about perceived liberal bias and conservative efforts to influence its activities. The question of financing will go next to the House floor and then to the Senate, which is traditionally more hospitable.