Nebraska Educational Television (NETV) will scale back its analog broadcast week by six-and-a-half hours beginning Sunday, according to a local publication. It's all about keeping the lights on.
Between the shrinking donor base that has plagued many nonprofits and a state budget squeeze, NETV is under financial pressure. The network initiated the reduction so it does not exceed its operating budget.
The latest reduction follows two other half-hour cuts instituted within the last 13 months, according to the publication. As of Feb. 1, the network will sign on at 6:30 a.m. (CT) and shut down at 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, instead of broadcasting 6 a.m. to midnight. The Saturday broadcast day will go from 6:30 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 7 a.m. to midnight. Both days previously started at 6 a.m. NETV's digital schedule - 1 to 10 p.m. - will remain the same. (NETV's online schedule at http://mynptv.org/nptv/nptv_sched/netv_sched.html reflects the changes.)
The reduction will save NETV an estimated $25,000 for the five months remaining in its fiscal year, the publication said.
