Panel Pulls Plug On Wildlife Show `Incredible Idaho’ Loses Funding From Sportsmen License Fees

Simmering resentment of the Department of Fish and Game boiled over again Thursday among legislative budget writers who eliminated funding for the popular “Incredible Idaho” television program.

After heading off an attempt to salvage the program on a tie vote, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted 11-7 to strip $97,100 in sportsmen license fees from the budget that the relatively independent agency spends on the monthly show.

The program, produced in conjunction with KTVB-TV in Boise and focusing on wildlife and scenic resources, is aired by stations in Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Lewiston and Spokane.

The contract with KTVB-TV expires in June at the end of the existing budget year.

Republican Gov. Phil Batt supported the action. He criticized such promotions in his State of the State address six weeks ago, calling them improper expenditures of public money that should be ended.

“I believe that there certainly needs to be sufficient public information about the Fish and Game and other state departments,” Batt said after the committee vote. “But I think that we’ve allowed in some instances too much self-promotion to go on, and they put that one in that category.”

KTVB-TV General Manager Robert Krueger was out of town on business and had no immediate comment on the legislative action or whether the station would assume the entire financial burden for producing the show.

The dispute marked the budget committee’s opening session on fashioning the state spending details for 1996. It had no impact on the limited general tax revenues budget writers have to augment Batt’s conservative $1.35 billion spending blueprint.

While in favor of the “Incredible Idaho” decision, the governor was less adamant about a second program called “Exploring Idaho” - produced and aired by KTVB-TV with about $100,000 in cash from the hotel room tax funneled through the Department of Commerce.

That program also is aired by the same stations in Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Lewiston and Spokane. Like “Incredible Idaho,” the rights to produce and air “Exploring Idaho” are awarded by bid, and officials said stations other than KTVB-TV had expressed interest.

Since he is philosophically opposed to government financing of essentially commercial enterprises, Batt acknowledged he would have to review that program as well when its contract expires next February.

However, he said, “The Department of Commerce is basically an advertising program for the state of Idaho, and that’s their job to promote travel, to promote the assets of Idaho. I consider that to be a different matter.”

Fish and Game’s production was supported by some lawmakers who saw it as informative, instructive and a valuable alternative for what several called “the trash that is on” televison.

After initially collaborating with Idaho Public Television on “Incredible Idaho,” Fish and Game Director Jerry Conley said his department decided it could reach more viewers for less money on commercial TV.

The governor’s strident tone against the Fish and Game program underscored the rancor between the agency and many elected officials frustrated over their inability to really control a department that has its own revenue source and a huge, loyal constituency.

Five weeks ago, Batt appeared on the verge of firing members of the governing Fish and Game Commission that he felt was arrogant and unresponsive.

But what aides now call the Fish and Game phone tree was activated, hundreds of sportsmen rallied around the commissioners and Batt wound up apologizing for what he admitted was an ill-conceived, premature action.