Backwardness Bad Way To Score A First

Sat., July 22, 2000

By D.F. Oliveria daveo@spokesman.com (509) 319-0354

Over the years, Idaho has had some notable firsts.

In 1914, it elected the country’s first Jewish governor: Moses Alexander. In 1926, Boise launched the first commercial airmail service. Ten years later, the world’s first ski chairlift opened at Sun Valley.

Now, the Idaho Legislature has established another first that has many image-conscious Idahoans holding their heads. Spurred by the airing of a controversial program on homosexuality, Idaho has become the first state to try to regulate public television programming. Worse, an Idaho Falls Republican has his party’s blessing to propose a bill in the 2001 Legislature that would privatize Idaho Public Television.

If the Republican Legislature endorses Idaho Falls Republican Sen. Mel Richardson’s knee-jerk proposal, it will kill the one information source that links far-flung areas of the state. At best, a privatized system would be limited to population centers in southern Idaho, cheating the north out of excellent programming about Idaho politics, history, outdoors and sports. Idaho public TV’s superb coverage of the Idaho Legislature alone is worth the annual appropriation from the general fund.

Public TV has served Idaho so well that Republican Phil Batt, Democrat Cecil Andrus and two other ex-governors urged the 2000 Legislature to fund an expensive upgrade to digital transmission. They said: “We have always considered public television a rare and valuable resource.”

Lawmakers already have done enough damage to Idaho’s credibility with their headlong rush to punish public TV for airing of “It’s Elementary” last fall. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a coalition of media groups believe the Legislature violated the First Amendment with the strings it attached to public TV’s budget. The restrictions ban programs that encourage violation of state criminal laws. In Idaho sodomy is a crime. They also require the Board of Education to monitor controversial programming.

Reluctantly, the Board of Education has moved to comply with its marching orders, proposing a disclaimer that will run daily and, in particular, with controversial broadcasts. Jim Hammond, the Post Falls city administrator, is one of the board members who isn’t happy with his new charge: “I will vote for (the disclaimer) because I don’t want to endanger further public television. But I’m very frustrated, because I think that we are bending to a certain political view that really doesn’t do anything to enhance the image of Idaho.”

The attempt by Idaho Republicans to muzzle public TV isn’t a first the state should be proud of.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.