Will Idaho Public TV get the ax? Here's my best guess
Kevin Richert
January 25, 2010
Idaho Statesman
Parks enthusiasts raised cain over Gov. Butch Otter's ill-advised plan to shut down the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. On Friday, Otter blinked, patching together a plan to keep Parks and Recreation alive.
A bipartisan group of leaders wrote a sharply worded appeal to save Idaho's Human Rights Commission. On Friday, the state cooked up a plan to keep the commission going, under the auspices of the Idaho Department of Labor.
Now, here comes the next cavalry over the hill. Supporters of Idaho Public Television have taken to the Internet to fight a four-year phaseout of public TV funding. A Save Idaho Public Television Facebook page has quickly attracted more than 2,600 members. A Web site encourages supporters to e-mail lawmakers by Wednesday morning, when IPTV honcho Peter Morrill is scheduled to testify before the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
This isn't a done deal. Just close. I won't guarantee that public television gets spared, but I bet it happens.
* First off, don't underestimate the value of an aggressive social media campaign. A year ago, social media was a key ingredient in a drive to defeat increases in beer and wine taxes. A surprising number of legislators are active on Facebook; I'm sure they're already on the receiving end of the save-public TV buzz.
* Second, I think the public TV advocates have hit on a great selling point. If Otter's proposed cuts go through, rural viewers are most likely to lose the service, since public TV would likely focuses on serving its viewer and donor bases, starting with the Treasure Valley.
From the save public TV website: "The State's current $1.7 million contribution primarily maintains the system’s 41 translator sites allowing public television to reach nearly every corner of Idaho. Without continuing state support virtually all of these sites, providing programming to every corner of the state, will cease to operate."
That's a strong argument for public TV funding, and I think it will resonate with budget-writers. JFAC is (somewhat) heavy on rural representation — and the two co-chairs, Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, and Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, represent the Magic Valley's Jerome and Minidoka counties.
* Third, and most important, Otter has done a poor job of presenting a plan behind any of his program cuts. He hasn't explained how public TV, which already gets 62 percent of its money from private sources, can realistically expect to cobble together enough donations to replace state funding. He also hasn't articulated a long-term vision for what a free-standing public broadcasting system would look like.
Of course, he also didn't present much of a long-term strategy for Parks and Recreation, the Human Rights Commission, or the other agencies on his chopping block. Instead of presenting some innovative plans to reorganize state government, Otter has proposed cuts that have felt improvised and poorly thought out. Hence the face-saving scrambles to salvage Parks and Recreation and the Human Rights Commission.
So lawmakers have a choice. They can go along with a sketchy plan to phase out public TV, or they can score points with voters by cooking up some patchwork to spare a popular program. Just remember, this is an election year for 105 legislators.
It's interesting. When Statehouse conservatives defend the status quo of $1.75 billion in sales tax exemptions and exceptions, the argument usually goes something like this: all of these tax breaks have a built-in constituency, which makes it hard to eliminate them. We have seen this session how difficult it is to eliminate an agency — because every agency has a constituency.
If I had to bet, I'd wager that this is precisely what saves public TV.
Originally posted at http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/01/25/krichert/will_idaho_public_tv_get_ax_heres_my_best_guess
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