I called on public broadcasting to take advantage of the popularity and value of its wonderful programming. They're doing so now. Last year, new ancillary agreements were reached that will see a larger portion of merchandise revenue from public broadcasting products go right back to public broadcasting. Media alliances have been formed with MCI and Turner to distribute public broadcasting programs on video and CD-ROM's. Even PBS has discovered that its logo generates revenue.
Foreign markets are an untapped source for programming and products.
Even the Internet offers enormous potential for public broadcasting, both as a conduit for classroom-based, interactive educational programming and as a base to market its products. In short, we really haven't begun to tap the enormous funding potential of public broadcasting in the worldwide marketplace. It's a question that we should explore. So today I am circulating a discussion draft that would not only reauthorize public broadcasting, but also explore and chart a path toward independence. The first way is to give public broadcasting tools to generate more revenue.