Downton Abbey producer writes impassioned letter about public arts funding

Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of PBS' Masterpiece series — Downton Abby, Upstairs Downstairs, and I Claudius are among the many credits — posted a letter on the PBS website Friday urging the viewing public to voice their support of arts funding in light of President Trump's proposed cuts.

In the letter, Eaton points out that "federal funding for public broadcasting represents less than 1/100th of one percent of the federal budget…PBS is watched by 82 percent of U.S. households." Calling the station and its content "one of America's best investments," Eaton underscores it as "critical to providing every American with free access to public media — a proven, reliable source of in-depth and informative journalism, award-winning educational children's programming, and vital programming about history, culture and, yes, high quality and meaningful drama."

In closing, Eaton urges readers to visit a site where they can sign a petition to protect public broadcasting, and learn all the ways in which it serves the community.

See Eaton's full letter here.