March Luncheon Program: WEDU’s Rob Lorei: “The Conservative Assault on Public Broadcasting”
Where are you on Friday evenings at 8:30? Many of us are watching Rob Lorei, our March luncheon speaker, on WEDU-TV (Ch. 3) as he moderates “Florida This Week,” the most informative television program on Florida politics. Lorei’s panelists include journalists and academics like Jeremy Wallace and Frank Alcock, prominent Democrats like Keith Fitzgerald and Rita Ferrandino and area Republicans. But, unlike other panels with activists from opposing parties, there’s no shouting. With Lorei at the helm, the discussion stays on an even keel.
Lorei will speak to the Democratic Club of Sarasota on March 12 on the topic “The Conservative Assault on Public Broadcasting.” The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the organization responsible for distributing federal funds that support 1300 local public broadcasting stations. Conservatives have been quick to encourage these cuts because of the perception that public broadcasting often slants to the left. We look forward to hearing Rob Lorei’s insight on this topic.
Besides serving as the Managing Editor and moderator of “Florida This Week,” Lorei is a co-founder of WMNF Radio and is currently the station’s News and Public Affairs Director. He attended Antioch College where he received a BA in Journalism in 1977. He got his start in radio there as a news reporter at the campus NPR station, WYSO. Lorei has covered local politics for more than 20 years and has moderated numerous televised political debates. He has received awards for reporting from the Florida ACLU, the Sierra Club, Amnesty International, the Sarasota Coalition for Peace and Justice, and the Florida Consumer Action Network. Please join us on Saturday, March 12, for what promises to be a thought-provoking presentation.