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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to the public broadcasting program system;

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amending s. 1001.26, F.S.; including certain television

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stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission

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for which support and funding may be given; providing an

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effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph

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(c) of subsection (2) of section 1001.26, Florida Statutes, are

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amended to read:

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     1001.26  Public broadcasting program system.--

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     (1)  There is created a public broadcasting program system

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for the state. The department shall administer this program

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system pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

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This program system must complement and share resources with the

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instructional programming service of the Department of Education

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and educational UHF, VHF, ITFS, and FM stations in the state. The

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program system must include:

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     (a)  Support for existing Corporation for Public

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Broadcasting qualified program system educational radio and

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television stations, and new stations meeting Corporation for

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Public Broadcasting qualifications and providing a first service

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to an audience that does not currently receive a broadcast signal

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or providing a significant new program service as defined by rule

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by the State Board of Education, and nondenominational television

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stations licensed as of July 1, 2008, by the Federal

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Communications Commission as full-power educational broadcast

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stations.

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     (2)

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     (c)  The department is authorized to provide equipment,

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funds, and other services to extend and update both the existing

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and the proposed educational television and radio systems of tax-

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supported and nonprofit, corporate-owned facilities. All stations

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funded must be qualified by the Corporation for Public

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Broadcasting or be nondenominational television stations licensed

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as of July 1, 2008, by the Federal Communications Commission as

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full-power educational broadcast stations. New stations eligible

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for funding shall provide a first service to an audience that is

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not currently receiving a broadcast signal or provide a

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significant new program service as defined by State Board of

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Education rules. Funds appropriated to the department for

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educational television and funds appropriated to the department

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for educational radio may be used by the department for either

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educational television or educational radio, or for both.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.