PUBLIC BROADCASTING MAKES ITS CASE

Officials from the public radio and television networks were also defending their federal funding today, at a House budget hearing. Some Republican members of Congress are raising legal questions over ads run by many of the public stations. With Federal Communications Committee approval, messages requesting patrons to lobby Washington for continued financial support are being aired across the country. Subcommittee Republicans contend that it is illegal to use government money to influence congressional legislation.BTW: The hearing will be broadcast this weekend on National Public Radio and C-SPAN.