APTS taking on two bills that would cut out pubcasting support

The Association of Public Television Stations is lobbying against two congressional proposals to eliminate millions in pubcasting funding. Republican Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn this week introduced a bill to eliminate all federal funding to CPB after FY 2012. That now has 12 cosponsors, all Republican. In a Dear Colleague letter Lamborn sent to House members Wednesday (June 16), he said that government funding of public broadcasting is "completely unnecessary in a world of 500-channel cable TV and cell phone Internet access." He also referred to pubcasting as a "nonessential service." Also, late last week, Democratic Ohio Rep. Charles Wilson introduced a bill to eliminate PTFP. APTS said that move "highlights the very real pressure on PTFP" over the past few years. "We cannot take funding for PTFP, or for any of our programs for granted." Funding for PTFP, or the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, has dwindled from $43.2 million in 2003 to $18.8 million in 2008.