Ed Markey: “This bill would wipe ``Car Talk'' off the road. It would wipe ``Lake Woebegone'' right off the map. It would close down…”

“This bill would wipe ``Car Talk'' off the road. It would wipe ``Lake Woebegone'' right off the map. It would close down ``Marketplace,'' and tell ``Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!'' to take a hike. GOP used to stand for ``Grand Old Party.'' Now it stands for ``Gut Our Programs.'' This bill prohibits public radio stations from using Federal funds to buy these programs and others produced by National Public Radio or its competitors. As a result, this bill would silence public radio stations across the country, depriving listeners of the news and information they depend on. Public radio stations can just raise the money from private donors, some say. Not likely. Local public radio stations need signature NPR programs like ``Morning Edition'' and ``All Things Considered'' to attract audiences. By drawing listeners to local stations, these programs and others generate strong financial support from the local listening area. Without these prominent NPR programs, local stations won't be able to attract the audience and sufficient fundraising base to keep running. Every month, more than 170 million Americans turn to their local public broadcasting stations for free high-quality programs that focus on the issues most important to them. This bill would pull the plug. It would snuff out stations from coast to coast, many in rural areas where the public radio station is the primary source of news and information. This makes no sense.…”