The U.S. House of Representatives is now considering a series of budget cuts to public broadcasters across the nation, including a $100 million cut from the budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and could vote on the cuts as early as Thursday.

The $100 million represents 25 percent of the money in the corporation’s Community Service Grant program, which is used to fund Iowa State’s public radio station, WOI.

Bill McGinley, WOI’s general manager, said the cuts would result in a loss of approximately $75,000 from the station’s budget based on last year’s grant of $315,000, although he said appropriations fluctuate from year to year.

He said the corporation’s money is also being used by WOI to convert its five transmitters to digital — two have already been converted — at a cost of approximately $85,000 each.

“If CPB money dries up, we’re facing the loss of $240,000,” McGinley said, referring to the cost of three additional transmitters. “The $100 million isn’t the only part of the picture.”

He said another funding program, in the Department of Commerce, could also be cut. The program has been used to fund equipment replacement, rebuild the WOI studio and fund new transmitters.

However, McGinley said the process has not been decided.

The spending bill for labor, health and education programs could be amended in the House, and has not yet been considered by the Senate.

McGinley said both Iowa senators, Democrat Tom Harkin and Republican Charles Grassley, have supported the bill.

“It’s a really fluid, dynamic situation,” he said.

“It isn’t over, the fat lady has not sung.”

McGinley said a proposed consolidation of the three Iowa university public radio stations could be hurt by the cuts, as WOI is working with the CPB for transitional funding.

However, once a consolidated Iowa Public Radio is formed, it could handle cuts better then separate stations, he said.

WOI, WSUI/KSUI at the University of Iowa and KUNI/KHKE at the University of Northern Iowa have been in the process of consolidating since the Iowa Board of Regents endorsed a consultant’s recommendation last December that called for the combination of the three stations.

The merger is expected to generate more listeners, provide wider news coverage for the citizens of Iowa and reduce the amount of state support.

However, concerns about the changing functions of public radio in Iowa remain.

Jeneane Beck, KUNI’s Des Moines bureau chief, said local news currently provided by each station is likely to shrink after the merger.

“If the newscasts originate from one station rather than three, the coverage will have to focus more on statewide stories rather than local stories,” she said.

Iowa Public Radio, though still undecided, would likely be headquartered in Des Moines.

The Iowa Public Radio Executive Council is now looking for an executive director for the new radio station.

Barbara Boose, communication officer of the Board of Regents, said the council is still in the searching process, and interviews have not yet started.

Katherine Perkins, host and producer of WOI’s “Talk of Iowa,” said an executive director needs to be able to pull three different identities together, and would make any decision regarding local programming.