Florida Senate - 2013 SB 1194
By Senator Ring
29-00466-13 20131194__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the public broadcasting program
3 system; amending ss. 1001.25 and 1001.26, F.S.;
4 authorizing the Department of Education to provide
5 equipment, funds, and other support for certain
6 television stations owned and operated by a district
7 school board and licensed by the Federal
8 Communications Commission; providing an effective
9 date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
14 1001.25, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
15 1001.25 Educational television.—
16 (2) POWERS OF DEPARTMENT.—
17 (c)1. The department may provide equipment, funds, and
18 other services to extend and update both the existing and the
19 proposed educational television systems of tax-supported and
20 nonprofit, corporate-owned facilities. All stations funded must
21 be qualified by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. New
22 stations eligible for funding shall provide a first service to
23 an audience that is not currently receiving a broadcast signal
24 or provide a significant new program service as defined by State
25 Board of Education rules. Funds appropriated to the department
26 for educational television may be used by the department for
27 educational television only.
28 2. The department may also provide equipment, funds, and
29 other services to a television station that is owned and
30 operated by a district school board and licensed as of January
31 1, 2012, by the Federal Communications Commission as a full
32 power educational broadcast station. Funds provided to such a
33 television station must be used for educational television
34 programming and services, including curriculum-based
35 instructional programming, citizen’s participation programming,
36 music and fine arts programs, coverage of public hearings and
37 governmental meetings, and other public interest programming. A
38 television station that provides programming that is
39 specifically designed to further the principles of a particular
40 religion may not be funded under this subparagraph.
41 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph
42 (c) of subsection (2) of section 1001.26, Florida Statutes, are
43 amended to read:
44 1001.26 Public broadcasting program system.—
45 (1) There is created a public broadcasting program system
46 for the state. The department shall administer this program
47 system pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of
48 Education. This program system must complement and share
49 resources with the instructional programming service of the
50 Department of Education and educational UHF, VHF, EBS, and FM
51 stations in the state. The program system must include:
52 (a) Support for existing Corporation for Public
53 Broadcasting qualified program system educational television
54 stations, and new stations meeting Corporation for Public
55 Broadcasting qualifications and providing a first service to an
56 audience that does not currently receive a broadcast signal or
57 providing a significant new program service as defined by rule
58 by the State Board of Education, and television stations that
59 are owned and operated by a district school board and licensed
60 as of January 1, 2012, by the Federal Communications Commission
61 as a full-power educational broadcast station.
62 (2)
63 (c)1. The department may is authorized to provide
64 equipment, funds, and other services to extend and update both
65 the existing and the proposed educational television systems of
66 tax-supported and nonprofit, corporate-owned facilities. All
67 stations funded must be qualified by the Corporation for Public
68 Broadcasting. New stations eligible for funding shall provide a
69 first service to an audience that is not currently receiving a
70 broadcast signal or provide a significant new program service as
71 defined by State Board of Education rules. Funds appropriated to
72 the department for educational television may be used by the
73 department for educational television only.
74 2. The department may also provide equipment, funds, and
75 other services to a television station that is owned and
76 operated by a district school board and licensed as of January
77 1, 2012, by the Federal Communications Commission as a full
78 power educational broadcast station. Funds provided to such a
79 television station must be used for educational television
80 programming and services, including curriculum-based
81 instructional programming, citizen’s participation programming,
82 music and fine arts programs, coverage of public hearings and
83 governmental meetings, and other public interest programming. A
84 television station that provides programming that is
85 specifically designed to further the principles of a particular
86 religion may not be funded under this subparagraph.
87 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.