APTS Emphasizes the Importance of Federal Funding to Public Television
WASHINGTON – October 25, 2010 – At a time when the American people are demanding that taxpayer dollars be spent wisely, the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) champions the use of federal funds to continue to support innovative and essential educational services and public affairs programming provided by public television stations across the country.
“For over 40 years, public television stations have used the power of public media to serve America’s local communities through a wide array of high-quality and innovative content, educational programs and community outreach,” said Interim President and CEO Lonna Thompson. “Education continues to be the cornerstone of public television, combining local stations’ powerful on-air and online content to educate Americans.”
On average, federal funding represents about 15 percent of local public television stations’ budgets. However, that 15 percent is the most important funding in their budgets because stations use this funding to leverage independent fundraising and support important areas that often aren’t covered by foundation funding, corporate underwriting and other revenue sources. These federal dollars are especially critical to local stations in the most underserved communities during these difficult economic times.
Thompson continued: “At only $1.54 per person per year, this small federal investment produces exponential returns for taxpayers. For the seventh consecutive year, the 2010 Roper Poll found public television to be the nation’s most trusted institution among nationally known organizations and one of the best values for tax dollars, second only to military defense. Americans depend on public television for high-quality programming and services including unmatched, commercial-free children’s programming, formal and informal educational instruction for all ages, in-depth news and public affairs programming, important healthcare and lifestyle information, and cutting-edge innovation in digital technology to enhance public safety. Americans deserve these services and public television is proud to provide them to the nation.”
Thompson concluded: “Federal funding in support of public television provides the American people with unique programs and services. There is widespread understanding that public television exists to provide what the market does not, reaching underserved audiences in communities across the nation. So long as it remains unprofitable to invest in programming that does not reach the highest expected audience numbers in the most favored demographic categories, ignoring community needs, commercial television will not play that role, making the preservation and growth of noncommercial television all the more important.”
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About APTS
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1979. The mission of APTS is to conduct – in concert with member stations – advocacy, planning, research and communications activities in order to achieve strong and financially sound noncommercial television and advanced digital services for the American people. APTS provides consistent leadership and information that helps our members better accomplish their own missions and goals. APTS promotes the legislative and regulatory interests of noncommercial television stations at the national level through direct advocacy, and grasstops and grassroots campaigns designed to garner congressional support. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
