roundtable: Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7-20-95 re: CPB-ITVS(FWD:CITS)

roundtable: Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7/20/95 re: CPB/ITVS[FWD:CITS]

Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7/20/95 re: CPB/ITVS[FWD:CITS]

W. Curtiss Priest (BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu)
Wed, 19 Jul 95 16:03:50 EDT 

Message-Id: <9507192006.AA06809@a.cni.org>
Date:  Wed, 19 Jul 95 16:03:50 EDT
From: "W. Curtiss Priest" <BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu>
To: Telecommunications Policy Roundtable <ROUNDTABLE@CNI.ORG>
Subject:   Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7/20/95 re: CPB/ITVS[FWD:CITS]


FYI, Curt

Curtiss Priest
<bmslib@mitvma.mit.edu>

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 15:38:03 -0400
From: Owner-Media-Forum@actwin.com
To: Media-Forum-Digest@ActWin.com
Subject:   Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7/20/95 re: CPB/ITVS[FWD:CITS]


Media Forum Digest        Wednesday, 19 July 1995      Volume 01 : Number 152

In this issue:

	Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7/20/95 re: CPB/ITVS
	Strategy

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From: "Independent Television Service" <ITVS@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 95 10:47:02 -0500
Subject: Important!!! Appropriations Activity 7/20/95 re: CPB/ITVS

TO ALL MEDIA-FORUM MEMBERS:

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT WHAT FOLLOWS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF
ITVS.  THIS IS A BRIEFING, WITH ACTION ITEMS TO FOLLOW.  PLEASE DO NOT INITIATE
LOCAL ACTIVITIES AT THIS POINT.  STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING

IF YOU HAVE FORWARDED INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPROPRIATIONS TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL.
THIS INFORMATION IS ACCURATE, AND CURRENT, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE AND
REFUTES THE PREVAILING INFORMATION PRINTED IN JOURNALS AND ON LINE.

PREVIOUS INFORMATION RECEIVED ON THIS LIST IS INACCURATE -- IN FACT, THE CURRENT
APPROPRIATIONS LANGUAGE COULD KILL ITVS.  READ ON....


****************************** ALERT *****************************************

As the full Labor HHS and Education Appropriations is scheduled to mark up a
final spending bill tomorrow, Thursday July 20th, here is the background
information we have pieced together:

Last week the Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee approved language including
a recommendation for $240 million appropriations package for CPB in fiscal year
1998. An amendment to recommend zeroing out CPB was narrowly defeated when two
Republican subcommittee members (John Porter-IL, chair, and Louis Stokes-OH)
voted with subcommittee Democrats against the amendment.

The subcommittee's recommendation would also make all appropriations contingent
on each organization being officially authorized.  In other words, since CPB is
not currently authorized by Congress past fiscal year 1997, the 1998
appropriations would not be disbursed.

NOTE:  The subcommittee ALSO included one sentence, at the end of the CPB
appropriation recommendation,  which overrides the related *authorization* which
requiring CPB to fund an independent production organization.  ITVS is the only
organization which is required to be funded through this provision.

[To be clear:  ITVS is an *authorized* function of the Telecommunications Act of
1988.  Heretofore, we have not been identified in appropriations, as this is a
function of CPB's internal process.  There is some question as to whether the
above appropriations activity is legal, as well as a great deal of confusion
about how it came to be.]

This sentence in the subcommittee's recommendation has been quietly ignored.

This is probably because most everybody had no idea that the sentence existed
(including Congressional subcommittee members and others who were present during
the subcommittee's deliberations process).  The origin is unknown.  However, it
could hold dire consequences for the continuation of ITVS.

Although the clause would not prohibit CPB from funding ITVS (or any other
independent production organization) it would remove the _requirement_ and would
send a most negative message about the importance of the type of service ITVS
provides.  Again, the focus is being diverted from the importance of independent
programming and service to American audiences, particularly those who are
underserved by the medium.


***************************A LAST IMPORTANT POINT***************************

The current recommendations include $240 million in appropriations for CPB for
FY98 -- far above the expected level.  The current tide of opinion is naturally
in support of this language, which will benefit the continued operation of CPB.

ITVS supports the dollar figure, supports the concept of a continuing federal
commitment to public broadcasting, and supports the unifying effect within the
public broadcasting system of such a measure.  We want to be clear that our
commitment to the system as a whole, with all its important parts, is unswayed.

The change in the law, however, is contrary to the original intent of Congress,
who made a bold, but important decision in 1988 to diversify the airwaves.  ITVS
is a vital programming service, strengthening rural and minority audience
services and strengthening the missions of CPB and PBS.

As an independent agency, our support to independent producers and to American
audiences remains focused and unfettered by the kind of political positioning
we're seeing today.

Look here later for more information.



Independent Television Service: Public Television for a Change
                      ~~~~~~~~~~
itvs@maroon.tc.umn.edu          Web:  http://www.itvs.org/ITVS
        vox: 612/225-9035    fax: 612/225-9102


------------------------------

From: "Independent Television Service" <ITVS@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 95 10:51:19 -0500
Subject: Strategy

STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING THE CONTINUING PROVISIONS RELATED TO ITVS WILL FOLLOW.

THANK YOU.

Independent Television Service: Public Television for a Change
                      ~~~~~~~~~~
itvs@maroon.tc.umn.edu          Web:  http://www.itvs.org/ITVS
        vox: 612/225-9035    fax: 612/225-9102


------------------------------

End of Media Forum Digest V1 #152
*********************************

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