Weekly Legislative Update
Please review the Weekly Legislative Update provided by the APTS Legislative Department to read the latest on what is happening on Capitol Hill.
Action Alert! 5/7/08
Prevent the Eliminiation of PTFP
The Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, is proposing to seek Congressional authority to transfer funds within the Commerce Department to pay for the cost overruns associated with the 2010 Census. Included on a short list of programs considered is the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). Currently, the Department of Commerce has put a freeze on FY 2008 available funds, including those recently approved for emergency purposes. If successful, this proposal will eliminate all current funds in the PTFP program thereby eliminating the consideration of 261 pending grant proposals.
More information about the elimination of PTFP, including talking points and sample letters, is available here.
APTS Launches Campaign to Increase Federal Funding
The ThinkBIG campaign is a multi-year initiative with the goal of increasing the federal contribution that supports the content and services that local Public Television stations provide to their communities. APTS launched ThinkBIG to engage Public Television stations in the advocacy process neccesary to solidify congressional support for such an increase.
The ThinkBIG campaign seeks to create a comprehensive case statement that clearly defines both local and national impact of Public Television stations nationwide. Stations will identify new potential content and services they will provide if their local Community Serice Grants were to increase. ThinkBIG also seeks to organize a national grasstops network charged with communicating this statement to lawmakers.
APTS has provided the following resources to assist stations in the creation of their local case statement.
Request your station's projected FY 2011 CSG increase
Legislative Tool Kit This section contains practical tools to help you advocate effectively on behalf of your station. It includes sections on appropriations and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), as well as specifics on policy and funding issues.
New Additions to the Legislative Tool Kit:
Go to the Legislative Tool Kit
Contact members of the APTS Legislative Team Last updated: May 8, 2008
