WASHINGTON — February 26, 2013 — The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) today presented its Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Greg Walden (R-OR). The award is given to Members of Congress and other individuals who safeguard the ability of local public television stations to provide educational, informational, cultural and other essential public services to their communities.
“Greg Walden has been a creative and thoughtful leader of the telecommunications industry for many years, and the public television industry is honored to present him with our highest award,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS. “As Chairman of the House Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, Congressman Walden crafted the spectrum incentive auction legislation that became law last year in the finest tradition of Oregon statesmanship, reaching across the partisan aisle to build a broad bipartisan consensus for one of the most important bills in the history of telecommunications law. We are particularly grateful to the Congressman for ensuring that the transition costs involved in spectrum reform would not impose an undue burden on public broadcasters, and we appreciate the good counsel he has given our industry over the years on how to improve our own service to the American people.”
“As a former owner and operator of radio stations, it’s an honor to receive this broadcasting award, said Congressman Walden. “Public broadcasting stations provide a great service to millions of Americans, including in my district in rural Oregon. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, I look forward to continuing bipartisan work on communications policies that create jobs, spur innovation and provide consumers more of what they want over the airwaves.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden represents the people of Oregon’s Second Congressional District, which includes 20 counties in central, southern, and eastern Oregon. Walden is a lifelong Oregonian whose ancestors came to Oregon by wagon train in 1845. Walden and his wife Mylene spent more than two decades as radio station owners in the Gorge. He’s also a licensed amateur radio operator (W7EQI). He puts that small business and technology experience to work as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. In this role, he has worked to pass legislation to grow American jobs by expanding access to wireless broadband, spur new U.S. technology and innovation, and protect the Internet from government control. In November 2012, Walden’s House Republican colleagues unanimously elected him to serve as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).
The Champion of Public Broadcasting Award was presented to Chairman Walden during the APTS Public Media Summit on Tuesday, February 26.
About APTS
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1979. The mission of APTS is to conduct – in concert with member stations – advocacy, planning, research and communications activities in order to achieve strong and financially sound noncommercial television and advanced digital services for the American people. APTS provides consistent leadership and information that helps our members better accomplish their own missions and goals. Through its affiliate APTS Action, APTS promotes the legislative and regulatory interests of noncommercial television stations at the national level through direct advocacy, and grasstops and grassroots campaigns designed to garner congressional support. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
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