PA's proposed budget eliminates public TV funding

Amid Gov. Ed Rendell's new budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, one budget cut certainly wasn't broadcasted: the elimination of all state funding for the Pennsylvania Public Television Network. Last year, according to press materials issued along with the governor's budget proposal, PPTN had $12.3 million in state funding. Rendell's budget proposes eliminating that funding and transferring PPTN's infrastructure responsibilities to the state Office of Administration. PPTN used the funding for its own operations and to allocate to eight public television stations throughout the state. According to the PPTN's 2007 annual report, the most recent available, the agency distributed more than $8.9 million to its member stations statewide that year. PPTN Chairman Tony May said the allocation was reduced to $7.9 million last year, but still represented approximately $1 million in grant funding to each of Pennsylvania's eight public stations. While Pennsylvania's public stations receive only about 10 percent of their funding from the state, May said, the grants play a key role in leveraging matching funds from the federal government and other sources.