Killing Big Bird will Not Effect the Nation's Bird Population: Mitt Romney and Public Broadcasting

So, there's been some rumblings regarding Mitt Romney's claim that he would cut federal funding to public broadcasting in an effort to reduce government spending and the federal deficit.  One question the moderator, Jim Lehrer (a well-known PBS figure) could have asked is if Romney had any idea how much federal funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which is the entity that receives federal funds and distributes them in the form of grants for PBS and NPR programming) actually receives from the federal government.  My guess is that he does not.  According to CPB's latest financial figures, they received $444.1. million dollars for fiscal year 2012, and have been allocated $445 for fiscal years 2013 and 2014.  Cutting this entirely would seem to have very little effect on the total government budget and virtually no effect on the national debt.  Not to mention, both PBS and NPR get a significant amount of their money from states, foundations, corporate sponsors, and donors (i.e., "people like you"). This money pays for different things.  For example, money from donors often goes to pay for daily operations and expenses (paychecks, electricity, maintenance, janitorial services, etc.), not programming.  I copied and pasted the history of funding page from the CPB's website below.

Fiscal Year	Administration Request	House Allocation	Senate Allocation	Appropriation
1969	$9.0	(b)	$6.0	$5.0
1970	$15.0	(b)	$15.0	$15.0
1971	$22.0	(b)	$27.0	$23.0
1972	$35.0	$35.0	$35.0	$35.0
1973	$45.0	$45.0	$45.0	$35.0
1974	$45.0	(b)	$55.0	$50.0
1975	$60.0	$60.0	$65.0	$62.0
1976	$70.0	$78.5	$78.5	$78.5
TQ (a)	$17.0	$17.5	$17.5	$17.5
1977	$70.0	$96.7	$103.0	$103.0
1978	$80.0	$107.1	$121.1	$119.2
1979	$90.0	$120.2	$140.0	$120.2
1980	$120.0	$145.0	$172.0	$152.0
1981	$162.0	$162.0	$162.0	$162.0
1982	$172.0	$172.0	$172.0	$172.0
1983	$172.0	$172.0	$172.0	$137.0
1984	$110.0	$110.0	$130.0	$137.5
1985	$85.0	$130.0	$130.0	$150.5
1986	$75.0	$130.0	$130.0	$159.5
1987	$186.0	(b)	$238.0	$200.0
1988	$214.0	(b)	$214.0	$214.0
1989	$214.0	$214.0	$238.0	$228.0
1990	$214.0	$238.0	$248.0	$229.4
1991	$214.0	(b)	$245.0	$245.0
1992	$242.1	$242.1	$260.0	$251.1
1993	$259.6	$259.6	$275.0	$259.6
1994	$260.0	$253.3	$284.0	$275.0
1995	$275.0	$271.6	$310.0	$285.6
1996	$292.6	$292.6	$320.0	$275.0
1997	$292.6	(b)	$330.0	$260.0
1998	$296.4	$240.0	$260.0	$250.0
1999	$275.0	$250.0	$250.0	$250.0
2000	$325.0	$300.0	$300.0	$300.0
2001	$340.0	$340.0	$340.0	$340.0
2002	$350.0	$340.0	$350.0	$350.0
2003	$365.0	$365.0	$365.0	$362.8
2004	(c)	$365.0	$395.0	$377.8
2005	(c)	$380.0	$395.0	$386.8
2006	(c) (d)	$335.0	$400.0	$396.0
2007	(c) (d)	$400.0	$400.0	$400.0
2008	(c) (d)	$400.0	$400.0	$393.0
2009	(c) (d)	none	$400.0	$400.0
2010	(c) (d)	$420.0	$420.0	$420.0
2011	(c)	$430.0	$430.0	$429.1
2012	$440.0	$440.0	$450.0	$444.1
2013	$460.0	$460.0	$460.0	$445.0
2014	$451.0	none	$445.0	$445.0

Notes

(a) Transition Quarter funding, during which federal budget year changed from July to September.

(b) Allowance not included in House Bill because of lack of authorizing legislation.

(c) From FY 2002-2011, the Bush Administration declined to request two-year advance funding for CPB.

(d) From FY 2006-2010, the Bush Administration proposed rescissions to CPB’s already-enacted two-year advanced funding.