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Statement
of Opposition to the Proposed PBS Increases
in the NPS Assessment and the MSA, Fiscal Year 2005
We, the undersigned CEOs and board chairs of public television member stations and state networks, members in good standing of the Public Broadcasting Service, wish to express to the PBS board our strong opposition to the proposed increase in the NPS assessment and the MSA.
Over the past several years, costs for PBS programming have increased substantially for each of our stations. For FY2005 PBS has proposed an additional 7.5 percent increase for the NPS assessment and a 5 percent increase in the MSA as part of a proposal over the next three years to increase NPS assessments by a total of 20 percent.
The consequences of NPS and MSA increases of this magnitude in FY2005 would be devastating for the public television system. The harsh reality is that viewership for PBS programs has declined significantly in recent years, resulting in declining underwriting and membership. Moreover, other traditional revenue sources are also being eroded, including tax support from local and state governments. All of these have been the economic bedrock of our system. Some of this downturn can be explained by external factors, such as increasing competition and a struggling economy. However, internally the reality is a declining return on the NPS investments for stations.
In this time of economic turbulence, stations have also had to face the Herculean challenge of converting to a digital transmission system. The cost of this unfunded mandate has already been staggering, and most stations are struggling to raise the resources to use their digital assets.
Increases in costs significantly above the inflation rate at a time of declining revenues will force many stations to make serious reductions in local services—a profound disservice to the American public who cherish their local public television stations and the variety of services they provide. Enhancing the value and performance of national PBS programming at current station investment levels is critical and must be the overriding priority for the PBS board and management. Therefore, we are opposed to any dues increases this year.
We call your attention to the PBS Mission statement, which says in part, “The Public Broadcasting Service exists to serve its Members, the nation’s public television stations….”
As members of PBS, and on behalf of the viewers and the members of the stations we represent, we urge the PBS Board of Directors in the strongest possible terms to vote against both the 7.5 percent increase in the NPS assessment, the 5 percent increase in the MSA, and the 20 percent NPS increase over three years.
| Julie Andersen James Baum Jude Andrews Rick Best Marie Antoon Donald K. Boswell Barry G. Baker Maurice “Moss” Bresnahan Jerry Barnaby Malcolm Brett Steven M. Bass Ellis Bromberg Owen G. “Bob” Shell, Jr. Mark Maierle Craig A. Brush Andrew Nolan Robbie Paul Alice J. Cheney Carl Caldwell Larry Ciecalone Jerry Carr Trina Cutter Glen T. Cerny David L. Dial Craig Wilkening Dr. Ray Hoops Don Checots Arlen Diamond Don Dunlap William Sturtevant Debbie L. Emond Ted A. Garcia Gary Ferrell Dr. Kenneth Garry Benny Flores Edward Grant Donovan Brooks James Fabiano, Sr. David M. Fogarty Dr. Jerold Gruebel Peter A. Frid |
Robert Weirather DeAnne Hamilton Victor A. Hogstrom Thomas F. Hanley Lawrence Holden Gregory Gardner John Divine Allen Harmon Tom Howe Robert Mitchell Ashley O. Thrift, Esq. John Hesse Jack Hyyppa David Hinman Candis Isberner Susie Phillips Marlon P. Kiser William J. Marrazzo Ted Krichels Molly Dickinson Shepard Kliff Kuehl John B. McCarroll Larry Brumley George L. Miles, Jr. John LaBonia Dwight Miller Maria Moore Donald W. Peterson David W. Piccerelli Jack K. Neal Sheldon S. Sollosy Ed Whitmore Allan A. Pizzato Jack Parris Dr. John Mosley Kathleen A. Pavelko William T. Reed Carolyn Watley |
Scott Shirai John Reim Max Rudolph Al Rerko Duane W. Ryan Donovan Reynolds Ronald K. Salak Roger Rhodes William Sanford Thomas M. Rieland Rebecca Anderson Willard “Wick” D. Rowland, Jr. Dan Schiedel Bert Schmidt Sandra Session-Robertson Jeff Lenhart Robert J. Shuman Daniel J. Schmidt Thomas F. Brady Sandra P. Guthman Patricia Simon Ronald L. Schoenherr Joseph Leeson, Jr. Dee Daneri Nancy Southgate Scott K. Seaman Mark Stanislawski Stephen McKenney Steck Chet Tomczyk Dr. Charles W. Sydnor, Jr. Henry Allovio, Jr. Richard J. Bodorff JoAnn Urofsky Jim Tindell Malcolm Wall Dr. Russell Ramsay John Domaschko Myron A. Tisdel Allen Weatherly Jacob Nehr Joseph Widoff Anita Poston Wendy Wink Rodney L. Zent, Ph.D. |
Public Broadcasting PolicyBase
A service of Current Publishing Committee and the National Public Broadcasting Archives
Posted June 22, 2004
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