For an interesting take on NPR funding you should check out this planet money podcast.

After listening to the podcast continue reading:

One thing not discussed in great detail is whether or not you want to be a consumer receiving the benefit of wonderful broadcasting or whether you would rather be the product that NPR is pedaling to advertisers. Remember that in order to have you as a product to peddle they may just try and please you to keep you around. I’d rather they just report it how it is than try and report what pleases me.

Anyway, I’ve been a freeloader of this public good (public radio) for a long time and its about time I stepped up and contributed for the benefit of all. I’d just assume the federal government keep contributing $2.40 (or whatever it is) on my behalf because I like being a freeloader. Just in case funding gets cut, and because its long overdue I have pledged to make my $35 contribution to public broadcasting this year. For those of you keeping track, I will be deducting that contribution from my federal taxes which means that at a 15% tax rate I will have robbed the government of $5.25 of revenue which is much more than my share of the $430 Million dollars the federal government gives to public broadcasting. I feel so powerful telling the government how they should spend their money. Conservatives, want to make a real difference in the federal budget put an end to ALL tax deductions and institute a fair or flat tax rate. Why should I get to decide how the federal government spends the $5.25 I was supposed to send them? I shouldn’t, but I do, so I will.