The Senate Appropriations Committee has restored $111 million to public broadcasting for TV and radio stations.
John Lawson, president and CEO of the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) thanked legislators for restoring the funding; recent Congressional battles over public broadcasting threatened to eliminate $200 million from its budget. "We've really had a public referendum on the question of federal funding for public broadcasting and Congress has responded," he said.
In addition, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies proposed restoring $400 million in fiscal year 2008 advance funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB) and suggested adding $35 million to help stations in the digital transition.
Unlike last month, when educational programs such as "Ready to Learn" were about to be slashed, $25 million was added to the program and $11 million was appropriated for "Ready to Teach."
It's not a done deal just yet; the bill goes to the Senate floor and this fall, a House-Senate conference committee will meet to resolve differences in the two versions of the bill.
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