NHPTV Vote This Week
When it meets in full session Wednesday, the Senate will decide whether to join the House in prohibiting state funding of New Hampshire Public Television.
House Bill 113, which passed the House 263-102 in February, has received closer scrutiny in the Senate. Sponsored by Steve Vaillancourt (R-Manchester), the measure would stop all state funding for NHPTV (Channel 11), including contracts with state agencies for educational and broadcasting services.
Vaillancourt and supporters of HB 113 have said that NHPTV does not fit into the state’s budget priorities. Vaillancourt has also staked out ideological ground, saying the state has no business using taxpayer money to fund public media.
The debate here in New Hampshire is not isolated, as a handful of states and Republicans in Congress have introduced proposals to either cut of defund public radio and television.
Impact
The fight is more than whether Big Bird will survive on free television in the state. At stake for NHPTV is a loss of an estimated $5.5 million over a two-year budget cycle, along with other funding that is jeopardized if NHPTV isn’t allowed to contract with state agencies. NHPTV is also involved in the state’s enhanced 911 system used by public safety agencies, in expanding broadband in the North Country, and in offering free educational programming to school systems throughout the state.
“HB 113 will have far-reaching and negative impacts on our other sources of support,” said Peter Frid, NHPTV president, in testimony to lawmakers. “Our work with state agencies is supported by general funds, and if we were to do a project with them we couldn’t receive revenues.”
Fate
The Senate Finance Committee has recommended against passing HB 113, in part because the station does not received funding directly from the state; NHPTV is funded and overseen by the University System of New Hampshire, which receives money from the state.
Senate Finance Committee member Robert Odell (R-Lempster), one of three Republicans to recommend killing the bill, told New Hampshire Public Radio that lawmakers shouldn’t tell the university system how to run its operations. “We didn’t want it in the budget that way. And it’s not going to be,” Odell said.
We ask readers for feedback on whether the state should the state defund New Hampshire Public Television, including barring it from service contracts with state agencies. Should lawmakers tell the university system how to budget its operations? How Senators answer those questions likely will determine the fate of HB 113.
(Comments below, policy here.)
>> Wednesday, May 6, full Senate session beginning at 10 a.m. at the State House.
This Daily Briefing was written by Michael McCord.
Posted by Hilary Niles
on May 10 2011. Filed under Commerce, Education, Government, media, media, Money, state budget, taxes, Weekly Briefing.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
NHPTV has so much quality programming for kids AND adults. It would be a shame to see it go. But alas, NH with the help of O’Brian’s merry little band, has done a lot of hateful things this legislative season.
The “Grouch” is mild when compared with O’Brian. I say keep NHPTV operating. Give people a chance to watch quality programs ot the garbage (for the most part) on the commercial channels.
BIG BIRD FOR SPEAKER OF THE NH HOUSE!
I talked last night with one of my reps who was familiar with the House wording. He assured me while the intent was to not fund NHPTV directly as part of the UNH budget, it was not the intent to prevent state agencies from using NHPTV as a vendor, as the article suggests. My rep said he will check with legislative services to be sure that the actual wording fits with his understanding. I even sent Vaillancourt an e-mail pointing out your article and suggesting he clarify his position for you.
My concern here is not the particular issue, but the reliability of Front Door Politics as an information source. You ought to double check if the pending legislation does/does not prevent state agencies “including contracts with state agencies for educational and broadcasting services”
Hi Don,
The House Finance Committee is currently in session, so Rep. Vaillancourt and other committee members who worked on the bill could not be reached at this time for further clarification.
The language of the bill (http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2011/HB0113.html) is pretty cut and dry: “Funding for Public Television Prohibited. No state general funds shall be appropriated or expended for the purpose of funding New Hampshire public television.”
If nuances to this broad language are revealed that allow for state agencies to continue their contracts with NHPTV, for example using non-General Funds, we will be sure to report on it in our continued coverage of the issue.
Thank you,
Hilary Niles