Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
March 11, 1996
Modifying CPB's Television Community Service Grant Policies
7 in favor, 1 abstaining
WHEREAS,
Under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public television stations in a manner intended to provide for the financial needs and requirements of stations in relation to the communities and audiences they serve, and to maintain existing, and stimulate new sources of non-Federal support for stations;
WHEREAS,
CPB Management and the public television community believe that public television should encourage greater investment in programs and services that benefit the American people, protect the public's investment in valuable spectrum resources, and maintain, where possible, universal access to a local public television service, and service in rural and sole service communities;
WHEREAS,
The existing funding climate requires that public television stations prepare for an environment which places greater emphasis on economic self-reliance, through greater collaboration and more efficient use of system resources;
WHEREAS,
Core elements of CPB's current station grants program contain provisions that should be strengthened to ensure a more consistent distribution of financial support to stations, provide assistance to stations seeking self-sufficiency, and offer appropriate incentives to stations to seek long-term funding solutions;
WHEREAS,
Management has reviewed the extensive work of the CPB-appointed Television Issues and Policies Task Force, 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 television station as part of the most extensive public television consultation in CPB's history; and
WHEREAS,
The Task Force and Management have recommended that the Corporation modify the television Community Service Grants program by adjusting the television base grant, transitioning multiple base grant recipients and overlap service areas to a single base grant, providing financial incentives for collaboration and consolidation, and providing financial support to rural and sole service communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts the Management recommendation to establish Transition and Overlap Market Funds, and to make related adjustments to station grants policies as detailed in Management's recommendation of March 1, 1996, which is incorporated by reference (attached).
