Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Media topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Minnesota Public Television asks committee for $5 million a year to expand legacy-funded programming
Summary
The Legacy Finance Committee heard testimony from Minnesota Public Television Association seeking $5 million per year from Legacy/Arts and Cultural Heritage funds to continue statewide programming, veterans history projects and classroom lesson plans; House File 1679 was laid over for possible inclusion.
The Legacy Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday from the Minnesota Public Television Association seeking $5,000,000 in each year of the next biennium to continue and expand programming supported by legacy funds.
Representative Maria Lilly introduced House File 1679 and described the bill as a request to continue funding for public television work across Minnesota. Patty Mester, general manager of PBS North in Duluth and president of the Minnesota Public Television Association, told the committee the association includes six independent nonprofit PBS stations and that the funding request is a 5 percent increase over current support. “The funding that we are asking for today is not an investment in us and it's an investment through us,” Mester said, urging support for programming that reaches classrooms and communities statewide.
Les Heen, appearing for the Minnesota Public Television Association, said the six stations reach 98 percent of the state over the air and reported digital growth: “Last year, for example, we had more than 2,000,000 web views of the content that was produced with legacy funds,” Heen said. Mester described recent veterans history work and other documentaries produced with legacy support, noting a Duluth cold-war documentary and educational lesson plans used by teachers; she said some content produced by MPTA stations has aired nationally.
Committee members asked about local economic impact and production practices. Co-chair McDonald asked whether stations use Minnesota production companies; Mester responded that “the majority of it is done in house” and that outside specialists are hired when needed. Representatives offered personal endorsements for public television’s classroom and family programming, citing shows such as Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers as formative.
Representative Lilly closed by praising the statewide reach of the stations and by saying the programming helps tell the story of other legacy-funded projects, which she said will help at renewal time for the statewide legacy amendment. House File 1679 was laid over for possible inclusion.
