Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
September 25, 1990
Satellite Interconnection Fund
Unanimously
WHEREAS,
The Public Telecommunications Act of 1988 ("Act") contained a provision (47 U.S.C. 396(k)(10)) that established a Public Broadcasting Satellite Interconnection Fund in the Treasury into which would be appropriated such amounts as determined by Congress to be used exclusively for the capital costs of the replacement, refurbishment, or upgrading of the public television and public radio national satellite interconnection systems and associated maintenance of such systems; and
WHEREAS,
The Act directs CPB to distribute all funds in the Satellite Interconnection Fund and any interest thereon to the licensees and permittees of noncommercial educational television broadcast stations providing public telecommunications services and to those public telecommunications entities participating in the public radio satellite interconnection system, or to the national entities designated by those stations and entities for satellite interconnection purposes; and
WHEREAS,
CPB has been specifically made fully accountable for the expenditure of all public funds appropriated to it, including those in the Satellite Interconnection Fund, to assure that they are spent properly for the purposes intended and in furtherance of the goals established by Congress for public broadcasting; and
WHEREAS,
The current delegation of authority to the CPB President to obligate the funds of the Corporation, as revised through May 17, 1988, does not include the authority for the President to transfer funds from the Satellite Interconnection Fund when they become available to CPB.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
The Board hereby specifically authorizes the CPB President and CEO to enter into binding bi-lateral contracts with public television broadcast stations providing public telecommunications services and public telecommunications entities participating in the public radio satellite inter-connection system, or their designated national representatives for satellite replacement purposes to transfer such amounts that may be appropriated into the Satellite Interconnection Fund and any interest earned thereon, to such stations, entities or their representatives, according to prudent payment schedules reflecting the reasonable cash flow needs of the replacement activity and at such times and in such a manner as will enable CPB to effectively account for the proper and prudent expenditure of the funds and will permit CPB to assure that the goals of public broadcasting set by Congress with respect to satellite interconnection are met.