America's Public Television Stations honors Sens Blunt, Leahy as champions of public broadcasting

America’s Public Television Stations recognized several public broadcasting leaders with awards and honored two members of Congress for their advocacy on behalf of the system. Sens Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) each received the Champion of Public Broadcasting award, which recognizes political leaders and others who protect the ability of local public TV stations to provide education, public safety and civic leadership services.

“Senator Blunt’s extraordinary leadership has been instrumental in ensuring that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, our new interconnection system, and the highly effective Ready To Learn preschool education program have been fully funded in the Senate Appropriations Bill each year of his chairmanship,” said Patrick Butler, president of APTS. Of Sen Leahy, Butler said the senator’s longtime commitment to public broadcasting has helped to secure federal funding over the past four decades. “We are particularly grateful for his championship of the Rural Digital Program that helped ensure the delivery of our programming and services to all the people of Vermont and to millions of rural Americans nationwide,” Butler said.