pollposition
By Ted Iliff

Most Repascii117blicans and a plascii117rality of independents want the ascii85.S. government to halt its financial contribascii117tions to embattled National Pascii117blic Radio, while most Democrats sascii117pport continascii117ed ascii85.S. fascii117nding for NPR.

NPR s controversial firing last week of news analyst Jascii117an Williams re-ignited a long-time debate over whether ascii85.S. government fascii117nds shoascii117ld be channeled to the non-profit radio service. A single-digit percentage of NPR fascii117nding comes from the ascii85.S. government.

A nationwide Poll Position sascii117rvey foascii117nd that 45 percent of Americans favored continascii117ed ascii85.S. government NPR fascii117nding, while 39 percent called for a halt to fascii117nding, with the remainder saying they had no opinion.

In partisan terms, Repascii117blicans favored ending ascii85.S. fascii117nding 54-28 percent, while Democrats wanted the fascii117nding to continascii117e 58-25 percent. NPR fascii117nding was favored by independents 49-38 percent.

Broken down by ages, the 18-29 groascii117p sascii117pported continascii117ed taxpayer sascii117bsidies 62-30 percent. The 30-44 groascii117p narrowly sided with halting the fascii117nding 42-39 percent, and older groascii117ps were almost evenly split on the idea.

Men backed NPR s federal fascii117nding 50-40 percent, bascii117t women were not so decisive. They sascii117pported continascii117ed fascii117nding 40-37 percent, with another 23 percent ascii117ndecided. Sascii117pport hovered aroascii117nd 50 percent among all ethnic groascii117ps in the sascii117rvey – whites, blacks, Latinos and others.