WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 28, 2022 – America’s Public Television Stations today applauded Senate Appropriations draft bills providing for $565 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal year (FY) 2025 and $40 million for FY 2023 for the Next Generation Warning System at FEMA to support public broadcasting stations’ public safety infrastructure.
The draft Senate bill providing appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies also includes $30.5 million in FY 2023 for Ready To Learn and $60 million for public broadcasting interconnection.
The House Appropriations Committee has already approved nearly identical funding levels for FY 2023, except for a $32.5 million appropriation for Ready To Learn.
The Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill was drafted by subcommittee chair Patty Murray (D-WA). The Homeland Security appropriations measure was drafted by subcommittee chair Chris Murphy (D-CT).
“America’s Public Television Stations are most grateful to Senators Murray and Murphy for recommending significant funding for public media in the FY 2023 Senate Appropriations Committee draft bills,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations.
“The $40 million increase for CPB in this draft bill would restore much of the $100 million in purchasing power public broadcasting lost over 10 years of flat federal funding — and with it our ability to provide the educational services, the public safety communications, the civic literacy and the beloved programming which millions of Americans need and value.
“We are also very pleased that this draft bill recommends an appropriation of $40 million for public broadcasting’s Next Generation Warning System for Fiscal Year 2023. Public broadcasting has an active and growing partnership with the public safety community at the local, state and federal levels, and the success of this public safety mission depends on reliable and resilient public broadcasting infrastructure.
“This essential funding for the Next Generation Warning System is critical to the civil defense of the country by helping stations replace aging infrastructure that will enhance public broadcasting stations’ ability to provide alert, warning and interoperable communications and incorporate emerging technology to meet the evolving nature in these lifesaving activities.
“Public broadcasting stations reach 99% of the American population, and are the only local media in many communities, making our work in alert and warning critical to the safety of people and communities throughout the country.
“We are also appreciative of the $60 million in FY 2023 for station interconnection, which is the backbone of the public broadcasting system, supporting nationwide emergency alerting, providing local stations with national programming, connecting stations with each other, and creating operational efficiencies. This increased funding would also support important system-wide digital infrastructure initiatives in cybersecurity, content delivery networks, and data management, among others.
“And we are grateful for the $30.5 million proposed for FY 2023 for Ready To Learn. This competitive grant program at the Department of Education supports public television’s essential work -- on-air, online and on-the-ground -- in early childhood education, to help build science, math and literacy skills of children between the ages of two and eight. Public television content created through Ready To Learn grants has been proven to help close the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers.
“While much work remains to complete this year’s appropriations process, we are gratified by the bipartisan, bicameral support which public television stations have earned through our local public services in education, public safety and civic leadership.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org