Board Oks Grant To Study Privatization

The Idaho Board of Education voted Wednesday to pursue a grant to study whether Idaho Public Television could be privatized, but board members were careful to note they weren’t advocating privatization.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has indicated it’ll give speedy consideration to a grant application from Idaho to fund a $75,000 study, which will show whether privatizing the TV network would be feasible.

Two states, Oregon and Hawaii, have shifted operation of their public TV networks from state agencies to non-profit corporations in the past eight years. Oregon still provides 10 percent of its network’s funding.

“We’d like the opportunity to be more knowledgeable and prepared for that (question) during the legislative session,” said board member Jim Hammond of Post Falls.

Some lawmakers have discussed privatization, and the Idaho Republican Party passed a resolution advocating it.

“I have a feeling the subject is not going to go away,” IPTV General Manager Peter Morrill told the board. “We should have facts and figures on the table.”

The feasibility study should be complete before the Legislature convenes in January.