ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – The Public Broadcasting Service was founded in 1969 and has since served the community by providing educational programming, such as Bob Ross\u2019s The Joy of Painting. <\/p>\n
And after possible federal funding cuts, future generations are at risk of never seeing their favorite characters like Elmo on the big screen ever again.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of your favorite Sesame Street, The News Hour, Nova Nature, The American Experience, which have already been cut down and diminished by PBS as of today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Congress approved a request from the White House to reduce funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe loss of funding leaves a hole that local stations may struggle to fill\u201d, President and CEO of Blue Ridge PBS INC William Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmall rural stations that they talk about, which just happened to be your Blue Ridge PBS and PBS Appalachia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose small rural stations are the ones that will be affected. And I think that we\u2019re I think we\u2019re looking at a hard road ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only will the federal funding impact what you see on the screen, but it will also impact everything behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re here to serve and reflect and tell the stories of Southwest Virginia. That\u2019s our job locally. That\u2019s what we were tasked to do,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it might be affected to the to a point where you won\u2019t see you\u2019ll see a change here on the local level of what we\u2019re able to show here at Blue Ridge PBS.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Blue Ridge Public Broadcasting is far more than just Elmo.<\/p>\n
Lives could be at stake, according to Anderson.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also lose that coverage of the early warning system that early, that E.A.S. system for tornadoes, hurricanes. Uh, and and here, most most especially here in Southwest Virginia, the flooding.\u201d<\/p>\n