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Committee advances $500,000 recurring request for KANW to join Mountain West News Bureau
Summary
Senate Education Committee gave a do-pass to Senate Bill 493, a sponsor-led request to appropriate $500,000 recurring from the GROW fund to KANW (Albuquerque Public Schools-owned public radio) to hire reporters and acquire equipment for participation in the Mountain West News Bureau.
The Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 493 by a committee do-pass after lengthy questioning from members about funding streams, operational control and whether capital requests should use capital outlay rather than recurring appropriations.
Sponsor Senator David Campos asked for $500,000 recurring from the GROW program fund to support KANW’s participation in the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional reporting collaboration that supplies content to member stations and to National Public Radio. Michael Brasher, general manager of KANW, told the committee the funds would pay for equipment and personnel to report from rural and frontier areas of New Mexico that lack local reporters; he estimated about 60–70% of the request would buy interconnection and origination equipment and the balance would support personnel and operating costs. Brasher said KANW operates with a very small staff and community donations and federal CPB grants have not covered the expansion proposal.
Committee members asked why the request was not submitted as capital outlay given that much of the money would purchase equipment. Senators expressed concern about recurring general-fund commitments and asked whether other public radio stations or Albuquerque Public Schools could or should contribute. Brasher said KANW receives limited CPB support and fundraising alone would not cover the equipment and staffing needed to make the Mountain West News Bureau participation effective.
The committee first rejected a do-not-pass motion on the bill; a subsequent do-pass motion carried on a recorded roll call. Supporters described benefits to rural coverage, student training programs and regional distribution of New Mexico reporting. Opponents pressed for clearer accounting of recurring vs. capital spending and for oversight to ensure editorial balance given public funding; KANW representatives said editorial balance is maintained through editorial review and public feedback.
The committee’s due-pass recommendation means the bill will go to the Senate floor; sponsors and KANW leaders said they would continue to refine budget details and coordinate with capital outlay and other stakeholders.
