In the few cases where significant local strength has developed, the results are just as effective as public radio's national programming has been. Rural communities are learning about economic solutions that similar communities have developed. Community leaders are learning about educational opportunities, the effectiveness of social policies and programs, new concepts in health care and an endless list of items that appear to address much of your national agenda. Public radio may be one of the most inexpensive solutions that your administration could find to empower capable people on the local level with the knowledge, ideas and examples they need to pursue local solutions of local, regional and national issues. If properly designed and implemented by the FCC during your administration, the new digital audio broadcasting systems will multiply our ability to give our audiences useful, actionable information, in even greater depth and greater variety of forms.
Public radio is a true catalyst.
And with a few changes it could do far more. Your encouragement and your support for funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to strengthen local public radio production capability to mirror the national programming strength, might be one of the most effective and important early investment areas of your administration. I hope your staff will look carefully at the potential return for America. My instinct is that it is considerably greater than any administration has yet recognized. Commentaries on its purpose and reality.