Study Sought On Privatizing Public TV Grant From Corporation For Public Broadcasting Could Help Pay For Proposal

Idaho should study whether it would be economically feasible to privatize its public television system, several state Board of Education members agreed Monday.

“Then at least we’ve got some answers to work with, instead of just speculation,” said member Jim Hammond of Post Falls.

A three-member subcommittee of the board voted unanimously for the study Monday and will recommend it to the full board Wednesday. That’s also the day the board will take a final vote on a set of on-air disclaimers and a monitoring plan it’s developed in response to legislative orders to more closely oversee public TV programming.

Lawmakers were upset that Idaho Public TV aired a documentary about issues relating to homosexuality, and some since have been pushing to cut off state support for the statewide network. The Idaho Republican Party, whose members hold 85 percent of the seats in the Legislature, passed a resolution at its convention this summer backing privatization.

Idaho Public TV General Manager Peter Morrill said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has indicated it would give speedy consideration to a grant application to fund a study, which could run about $75,000 and be complete in time for state lawmakers to consider in January.

A study, Morrill said, would show “whether privatization makes sense.”

Idaho currently provides 28 percent of IPTV’s annual operating budget. Federal grants make up another 17 percent, with the remaining 55 percent coming from private donations.

Two states, Oregon and Hawaii, have privatized their public TV networks in the past decade, shifting them from state agencies to nonprofit corporations. Hawaii made the move this summer, in response to a major fiscal crisis in its state government. Oregon privatized in 1992 at the request of the TV network, but still contributes 10 percent of its annual budget. There, the TV network wanted more control over how it operated, rather than the state oversight that came with being a state agency.

Idaho is the first state to attempt to control programming on public television through legislation. The Legislature tied strings to IPTV’s budget this year, ordering the board to monitor controversial programming and banning broadcast of any program that encourages breaking the law.

Although the state provides less than a third of IPTV’s funding, the rules apply to the network’s entire operation.

In Idaho, the state subsidy helps public television reach far-flung, rural parts of the state. Because of Idaho’s geography, commercial television splits the state into several separate markets and doesn’t reach some areas at all.

Board of Education member Karen McGee of Pocatello said the inclusion of state money has been the source of many lawmakers’ concerns, and privatization could quiet those concerns.

Morrill said if privatization meant a sudden cutoff of funds, it would doom the statewide TV network. But if it were a carefully planned effort, phased over a number of years, it might work.

First, he said, the state would have to address how public television would make the conversion to digital transmission, a $9million federally mandated move that must come within the next two years. It also would have to address how to replace the state subsidy.

Also crucial would be transfer of the license for public broadcasting to the new nonprofit organization that would operate Idaho Public TV, along with the network’s equipment and assets.

“This is not a subject I particularly brought up, but it’s clearly on the table,” Morrill said.

The Board of Education subcommittee also voted Monday to recommend the new monitoring and disclaimer policy to the full board Wednesday as-is, without creation of an additional citizen advisory committee to review programs.

Only McGee favored the new committee.

The disclaimers would run at least once a day, telling viewers that programs aren’t meant to encourage crime and viewers should use discretion.

The policy also calls for more board review of programs, in response to lawmakers orders.

This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S NEXT The subcommittee will recommend the study to the full board Wednesday.