11/10/2009 - 2010 Legislature Live Funding

I'm pleased to announce that funding for the 2010 season of Idaho Legislature Live is now complete. I'd like to thank the Idaho State Broadcasters Association, Union Pacific Foundation, Idaho Association of Counties, and the Idaho Public Television Endowment for their support of this outstanding service!

 

10/14/2009 - IdahoPTV Wins Three Federal Grants

We begin the fall with remarkable news regarding three competitive grants that we submitted last winter. On Thursday, October 1, Idaho Public Television was notified that we were being awarded two major competitive equipment grants totaling $747,277 from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP).

The first grant will allow IdahoPTV to acquire the needed equipment for DTV fill-in translators that will serve Boise Front/Harris Ranch, Bellevue and eastern Pocatello. As you may recall, I testified before Congress this past winter about the need for such service. This grant requires local match totaling $90,760, which IdahoPTV has secured. The second grant will enable the upgrade of our statewide network center to allow for the delivery of regional over-the-air HD content services, added near-line storage and backup power. This grant requires a local match totaling $325,000. This amount has not been secured, but we have begun the search by requesting it in our FY 2011 budget request to the state of Idaho.

On Friday, October 9, 2009 we were notified by the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) that Idaho Public Television was awarded a competitive grant of $481,770 for the equipment needed for three other DTV fill-in translators serving Emmett, Idaho City and Glenns Ferry. The grant has no local match requirements.

I want to acknowledge the terrific work of IdahoPTV's grant writer Cindy Lunte, Director of Technology Rich Van Genderen and Fiscal Officer Toni Ward for their efforts to better serve our viewers and users across our service areas.

 

9/16/2009 - Journalists' Convention Highlights Public Broadcasting, IdahoPTV Reporter

On August 17, IdahoPTV Producer/Reporter/Host Thanh Tan traveled to Boston to organize and moderate a community forum at WGBH's Yawkey Theater on the state of public broadcasting.

The event was held in conjunction with the annual Asian American Journalists Convention. The panel featured notable figures in the industry, including: Frontline Senior Producer Raney Aronson-Rath, OnPoint Host Tom Ashbrook, The World's Managing Editor Jonathan Dyer, Center for Asian American Media Executive Director Stephen Gong, Frontline Podcast Producer/Sound Tracks Correspondent Arun Rath, Association of Independents in Radio Executive Director Sue Schardt, and WGBH Education Foundation Executive Judith Vecchione. The audience consisted of over 50 individuals representing WGBH, the Boston community, independent filmmakers, commercial journalists in AAJA, students, and funders.

In spite of the weak economy, the speakers focused their discussions on opportunities for those seeking to produce content for PBS and NPR, the role of technology and new media in making even the most venerable programs more inclusive, and ways for journalists to reinvent their careers regardless of whether they work in public or commercial broadcasting. Thanh believes the overall tone of the discussion was optimistic and showcased public broadcasting's unique relationship with its viewers and listeners. The forum was followed by a guided tour of WGBH's state-of-the-art facility. I'd like to thank the Idaho State Broadcasters Association for granting Thanh a travel stipend.

View the forum, "Public Broadcasting: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow."