President Obama asked Congress to provide $502-million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Included in that total is a $440-million two-year advance appropriation for the 2012 fiscal year, a $10-million increase from the amount the organization will now receive for 2011 programs.

Public broadcasting gets money in advance because its programs take a long time to plan; the advance budget allocation process also is designed to ensure that public broadcasters retain editorial independence in their program decisions.

Additionally, $36-million would support efforts to help public television and radio broadcasters convert from an analog to a digital signal.

Another provision in the budget seeks to makes $27-million available for the final phase of a joint project between the corporation and National Public Radio to replace and upgrade the public radio satellite system, and $25-million for Ready to Learn, the corporation’s early childhood literacy program.

Noting the recession, officials at the corporation said in a news release they realized President Obama had to make difficult budgetary decisions, but said they are “deeply concerned” that the budget didn’t provide emergency support for stations that face a sharp decline in money from private sources.

Moreover, they said, “the Administration did not recommend funding for the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, a critical infrastructure program within the Department of Commerce targeted to meet the unique needs of local public television and radio stations, Ready To Teach or USDA’s Rural Digital program.”

The officials urged Congress to consider such programs and said they planned to “work closely with Congress and the administration to make our case for fully funding public broadcasting so that we can continue, and enhance the valuable programming we provide to communities across the country.”