SENATE BILL REPORT

ESSB 5285

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators McDermott, Deccio, Moore, von Reichbauer, Kreidler, Zimmerman, Stratton, Warnke, Saling, Vognild, Rinehart, Hansen, Gaspard, Wojahn, Fleming, Garrett, Talmadge and Kiskaddon)

Providing funding for public broadcasting stations.

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 22, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5285 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Kreidler, Moore, Rinehart, Saling, Talmadge, Vognild, Warnke, Williams, Wojahn, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Stephen Rose (786-7443)

                  February 23, 1987

AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 20, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Public nonprofit radio and television companies complement private broadcasting companies in providing added program diversity for the utilization of Washington citizens.

Public broadcasting companies face increasing costs and potentially decreasing federal support.

SUMMARY:

Procedures are established to direct the Department of Community Development on how to allocate grants to public broadcasting stations.  One program is for public broadcasting companies licensed in Washington and qualified to receive grants from the Federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  Seventy-five percent of the money appropriated to this program is allocated to public television corporations and 25 percent to public radio stations.  Both the radio and television funds are divided into basic and incentive grant pools.

Another program is for grants to broadcast stations with a noncommercial education license, but not eligible for grants from the Federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  These stations must have facilities and equipment for program origination and production.  They also must have daily broadcast schedules, with some programs locally produced, devoted primarily to serving the educational, informational, and cultural needs of the community within its primary service area.  The programming shall be intended for a general audience and not designed to further a particular religious philosophy or political organization.  Maximum grants awarded to eligible stations under this section are determined by the number of hours a day the station broadcasts.

Fiscal Note:      none requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Mike Ryherd; Paul Hartman, Yakima Public TV