On Monday’s Morning Joe, MSNBC gave author Steve Oney a forum to promote his book, On Air: The Triumph and Tumult of NPR, and to lament the possibility that the “down the middle” NPR will be defunded by Republicans.
After co-host Mika Brzezinski recalled moves by the Trump administration to try to eliminate funding for public broadcasting, Oney compared Republicans to cicadas who keep showing up with attempts to defund:
But they’re (NPR) going to face a rocky road in the future, and, every 17 years — it’s like the cicadas returning — generally, when there’s a Republican uptick in power, someone comes after NPR’s finances. The last time was in 2011 after the Juan Williams firing by NPR. Before that, Newt Gingrich in 1995 said he would zero out the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
And, prior to that, Ronald Reagan came after them in the mid-80’s….
