Title: Public Broadcasting Program System

Summary: Includes certain television stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for which support and funding may be given.

Full Text:
An act relating to the public broadcasting program system; amending s. 1001.26, F.S.; including certain television stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for which support and funding may be given; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 1001.26, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 1001.26 Public broadcasting program system.  (1) There is created a public broadcasting program system for the state. The department shall administer this program system pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education. This program system must complement and share resources with the instructional programming service of the Department of Education and educational UHF, VHF, ITFS, and FM stations in the state. The program system must include: (a) Support for existing Corporation for Public Broadcasting qualified program system educational radio and television stations,and new stations meeting Corporation for Public Broadcasting qualifications and providing a first service to an audience that does not currently receive a broadcast signal or providing a significant new program service as defined by rule by the State Board of Education,and nondenominational television stations licensed as of July 1, 2011, by the Federal Communications Commission as full-power educational broadcast stations.(2) (c) The department is authorized to provide equipment, funds, and other services to extend and update both the existing and the proposed educational television and radio systems of tax-supported and nonprofit, corporate-owned facilities. All stations funded must be qualified by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or be nondenominational television stations licensed as of July 1, 2011, by the Federal Communications Commission as full-power educational broadcast stations.New stations eligible for funding shall provide a first service to an audience that is not currently receiving a broadcast signal or provide a significant new program service as defined by State Board of Education rules. Funds appropriated to the department for educational television and funds appropriated to the department for educational radio may be used by the department for either educational television or educational radio, or for both. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.