The Senate Commerce Committee passed a measure to authorize funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through fiscal year 2011. This independent agency has not been reauthorized since 1992.
The bill:
* Gives CPB authority to award grants for the production and acquisition of local programming and allows stations to use CPB funds supporting the digital transition to produce local digital programming,
* Expands the definition of public telecommunications services to capture the services public broadcasters are now providing through their Web sites and through digital multicasting, and;
* Allows CPB to recoup some federal funds provided to a public broadcast station if the broadcaster sells the station to an entity that does not offer public broadcasting services.
Committee Passes CPB Reauthorization
Committee Passes CPB Reauthorization