Back in October, Vivian Schiller — the CEO of National Public Radio — was interviewed by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. In that interview, Ms. Schiller denied that public funding played an important role in the operations of the network. In fact, she effectively said public funding was unnecessary.

Q: Could NPR live without federal funding?

A: Let’s go on a sidebar. There’s a misperception about federal funding and public radio. There’s the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They receive $90 million a year and a vast majority goes to member public radio stations. Those stations pull in more than $1 billion collectively a year. It’s significant and important but not even close to the lion’s share of revenues for public radio. NPR gets no allocation from CPB. Zero. We are a private 501(c)3. We’ve had journalists call up and ask what department of the government we report to. That’s laughable. Have you listened to our shows? We do apply for competitive grants from the likes of the Ford Foundation and the Knight Foundation. As a result, some money from CPB does come to us when we win grants. Depending on the year, it represents just one to three percent of our total budget.

Got that? Even in years when NPR does get some money through grants, public funding encompasses just one to three percent of their total budget. Why, it’s a pittance! Nothing! Those silly conservatives with their silly concerns over this allegedly “publicly-funded” network. Silly!

But then came November 2nd, and those silly conservatives won control of the House of Representatives. Suddenly their threats to defund the partisan network became very real. After all, if Republicans block funding for something in the House, it doesn’t get funded. They could stop the gravy train dead in its tracks.

And so suddenly Schiller has a different tone when it comes to the previously small-to-non-existent public funding. She has suddenly decided that revoking public funding would devastate the network.

Speaking at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington Sunday on the “Future of Journalism,” National Public Radio President and CEO Vivian Schiller said she takes calls for defunding NPR “very seriously,” while stressing how important government funding is for public broadcasting, especially for NPR’s member stations. She also recognized there’s a possibility that, with the new GOP majority in the House, those calls for defunding might be renewed.

“If defunding to public broadcasting were to occur, it would be devastating to public broadcasting. That’s a fact,” Schiller said.

Vivian Schiller in October 2010: Public funding? Tis a pittance! Those silly people who talk about this alleged “publicly-funded” network? Absurd!

Vivian Schiller in November 2010: Revoke our public funding? Why, that would be devastating to our network and public broadcasting in general! Oh, the humanity!

Republicans should defund NPR just so they can read that first statement back to Ms. Schiller when she inevitably expresses outrage. Next year is going to be fun, kids.

Via Gateway Pundit.