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Public media leaders ask Legislature to maintain funding for Ohio Channel, Statehouse News Bureau and BEMC connectivity
Summary
Representatives of the Broadcast Educational Media Commission, WOSU and the Ohio Channel told the committee that state support keeps the Ohio Channel, Statehouse News Bureau, public broadcasters and radio-reading services connected and able to provide emergency communications, legislative coverage and archiving; they backed the governor's budget request for continued operations and maintenance.
Executives from the Broadcast Educational Media Commission (BEMC), WOSU/Public Media, and the Ohio Channel told the Senate Higher Education Committee that continued state support is necessary to sustain statewide connectivity, emergency communications, legislative coverage, and archiving of official proceedings.
Jeffrey Phillips, executive director of BEMC, framed a three‑leg model — Ohio Government Telecommunications (Ohio Channel), the Statehouse News Bureau, and Ohio public broadcasters — and asked the committee to support the governor's recommended funding. Anthony Padgett of WOSU and the Alliance of Public Telecommunications highlighted public media's role in emergency alerts, educational content, workforce development programming and the Ohio Radio Reading Service for visually impaired Ohioans. Dan Shellenbarger described the Ohio Channel's archival role, the unique statewide fiber connectivity funded historically by the state, and the service's value in preserving an accurate public record at a time of rising misinformation risks.
Committee members asked about regional signal reach and partnerships (Cincinnati, Cleveland); witnesses described plans to expand 24/7 distribution and collaborative statewide reporting via an Ohio Newsroom partnership. No line-item votes occurred during today's hearing.
