APTS’ ThinkBIG campaign seeks to upgrade public TV’s argument

Originally published in Current, Oct. 9, 2007
By Jeremy Egner

The Association of Public Television Stations will rely on public TV stations in an effort to boost Community Service Grants, it said last week.

Debra Tica Sanchez, v.p. for government relations, announced the lobbying group’s so-called ThinkBIG campaign Oct. 3 at the PBS Development Conference in Palm Desert, Calif. APTS is asking stations to outline potential new content and services that they could offer with more funding.

Clearly defined examples of possible new offerings will strengthen public TV’s case on Capitol Hill, APTS said. The goal is to more clearly define public TV stations’ local and national impact and persuade Congress to direct more funds to the stations. Stations can request estimates of their future CSGs and learn more about the campaign at APTS.org.

CPB is asking the Bush administration for $483 million in 2011, nearly 16 percent more than the $420 million it’s expected to get in 2010. (That amount is part of an appropriation bill still awaiting action in Congress.)

Headline revised slightly from print edition.

Web page posted Oct. 13, 2007
Copyright 2007 by Current Publishing Committee

APTS's Debra Tica Sanchez, 2004 photo

Sanchez announced the initiative at the PBS DevCon (2004 photo).

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Booz Allen Hamilton, consulting for CPB, sees fiscal gap developing within four years. The exercise came up with pubcasting's 2011 request of $483 million.

LINKS

APTS describes ThinkBIG and other initiatives.

Tell Them Public Matters, an ongoing lobbying campaign by APTS Action Inc., NPR and PBS. Campaign resources are offered by APTS Action Inc.

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