Smaller arts grants awarded for PBS shows

[April 27, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded significantly smaller grants to established PBS programs this year.

"Live From Lincoln Center" received no funding under the 2012 Arts in Media grants. Last year it received $100,000.

The Metropolitan Opera received $50,000 for its "Great Performances at the Met" telecasts. That's $100,000 less than last year.

WNET in New York received $50,000 for "American Masters," compared to $400,000 in 2011.

PBS President Paula Kerger tells The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/IdBtzK) the cuts are disappointing. She says PBS will "have to scramble and try to fill the gap."

Other PBS programs that saw cuts were "The PBS NewsHour" and "Independent Lens."

The endowment did for the first time award large grants to gaming, mobile and Web-based projects.

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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/

[Associated Press]

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