Cuts to the Indiana budget include all funding for Indiana Public Broadcasting stations. WNIN’s John Gibson has details:
Governor Braun and the Indiana House and Senate had agreed to maintain about three-point-six million dollars for the statewide network over the next two years.
But then came word of a projected two-billion-dollar state revenue shortfall and legislative leaders began cutting – and zeroed-out funding for IPBS.
WNIN President and CEO Tim Black says the cut to the Evansville station would be about 446-thousand dollars each year:
"We're not going to shut our doors but it is an extremely difficult amount of money for us to find."
How can the station fill the gap?
"We certainly are going to be relying on those who use our services, whether that's an individual or a corporation in the community, a foundation to try to help us out."
Black has led WNIN for nearly five years:
"One of my primary missions was to bring more local content to our air. I'm very happy that we've been able to do that. Those, unfortunately, are the very first things that can be affected in these kinds of situations."
Indiana Public Broadcasting Executive Director Mark Newman warns the cut means reduced access to local, trusted journalism; potential loss of public safety and emergency alert services; fewer educational resources; and fewer services for underserved areas.