Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
January 22, 1996
Public Radio Audience Service Criterion
Unanimously
WHEREAS,
The Board acknowledges that, under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public radio stations in a manner intended to bring public radio programming and related services into the lives of as many Americans as possible and to help public radio stations meet high professional standards;
WHEREAS,
Public radio stations and Management believe that public radio continues to gain strength from the existing core policy elements of CPB's current station grants program, including Community Service Grant/National Program Production and Acquisition Grant eligibility criteria that set minimum operating requirements for staff, power, hours of operation, facilities, programming, and nonfederal support; the base plus nonfederal financial support matching formula for calculating grants; the current base grant policy-that is, the base grant changes annually in proportion to changes in the appropriation; the existing minority and rural incentives; the Sole Service, STEP, and micro-market grant programs;
WHEREAS,
The existing funding climate requires public radio to strengthen its audience service and to become more accountable to the listeners it serves, while preserving its enduring mission and values, including its noncommercial franchise, quality local and national programming, station and programming diversity, and the capacity to reach as many Americans as possible;
WHEREAS,
Management has reviewed the extensive work of the CPB-appointed Public Radio Issues and Policies Task Forces, met with stations and representation organizations at regional and national meetings, sent multiple discussion papers of related issues to and invited comment from each public radio station as part of the most extensive public radio consultation in CPB's history; and
WHEREAS,
The Task Force and Management have recommended that the Corporation add an audience service eligibility criterion to the existing station grants criteria and make related adjustments to station grant policies.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts the Management recommendation to establish an audience service eligibility criterion and make related adjustments to station grant policies as detailed in Management's recommendation of January 11, 1996, which is incorporated by reference (attached).