92d Congress ) HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES ( Document M Session j ( No. 92-320

VETOING H.R. 13918—HOUSE DOCUMENT 92-320

MESSAGE

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

VETOING H.R. 13918, AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR IMPROVED FINANCING

FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, AND FOR

OTHER PURPOSES

June 30, 1972.—Message together with the accompanying bill referred to the

Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and ordered to be printed

To the House of Representatives: I find it necessary to return without my approval H.R. 13918 which is intended to provide increased financing for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and to modify the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 by making various changes in the structure of the non-commer­ cial, educational broadcasting system. Public broadcasting can and does make important contributions to our Nation’s life by presenting educational and cultural programs of diversity and excellence. Programs such as “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company” already have begun to repay the far-sighted deci­ sion the Nation made in the 1950s when channels were reserved for educational purposes. Public broadcasting deserves to be continued, and to be strengthened. The legislation before me, however, offers a poor approach to public broadcast financing. It ignores some serious questions which must be resolved before any long-range public broadcasting financing can be soundly devised, and before the statutory framework for public broad­ casting is changed. There are many fundamental disagreements concerning the direc­ tions which public broadcasting has taken and should pursue in the future. Perhaps the most important one is the serious and widespread concern—expressed in Congress and within public broadcasting it­ self—that an organization, originally intended only to serve the local stations, is becoming instead the center of power and the focal point of control for the entire public broadcasting system.

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The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 made localism a primary means of achieving the goals of the educational broadcasting system. Localism places the principal public interest responsibility on the in­ dividual educational radio and television stations, licensed to serve the needs and interests of their own communities. By not placing adequate emphasis on localism, H.R. 13918 threatens to erode substantially pub­ lic broadcasting’s impressive potential for promoting innovative and diverse cultural and educational programming. The public and legislative debate regarding passage of II.R. 13918 has convinced me that the problems posed by Government financing of a public broadcast system are much greater than originally thought. They cannot be resolved until the structure of public broadcasting has been more firmly established, and vre have a more extensive record of experience on which to evaluate its role in our national life. This Administration has demonstrated its dedication to the prin­ ciple of public broadcasting by increasing appropriations to the Cor­ poration sevenfold in the past three years, from $5 million in FY 69 to $35 million in FY 72. On top of this, I have requested an addi­ tional 30 percent increase for next year to $45 million. The funding- proposed in H.R. 13918, which almost doubles next year's appropria­ tion, and more than doubles the following year’s appropriation over FYr 1972, is unwarranted in light of the serious questions yet un­ answered by our brief experience with public broadcasting. I urge the continuation of carefully measured annual funding for the Corporation, under the existing statutory framework, subject to regular budgetary oversight and review7. Specifically, I ask the Con­ gress to follow my budget recommendation by enacting a one-year extension of the Corporation’s authorization ana providing it $45 mil­ lion. Since interim funds for the Corporation are included in a con­ tinuing resolution currently before the Congress, there should be no interruption of the Corporation’s activities.

R ichard N ix o n.

The W h it e H o use, June 30,3972.

H.R. 1391$

Ninety-Second Congress of the United States of America, at the Second Session, Begun and Held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the Eighteenth Day of January, One Thousand Nine Hundred and SeventyTwo

AN ACT

To provide for improved linancing for tlie Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the “Public Broadcasting Act of 1072”. Sec. 2. (a) Section 390(g) (2) of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by striking out the period at the end of subparagraph (H) and inserting in lieu thereof and” ; and by inserting after subparagraph (H ) the following new subparagraph: “ (1) to encourage and assist the utilization and development of all forms of telecommunications facilities (including new technology) for the produc­ tion and distribution of educational radio and television programs.” (b) Section 396(g) of such Act is amended by adding after paragraph (3) the following new paragraph:

H. Doc. 92-320