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An Act To Preserve Statewide Public Broadcasting
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §852, sub-§4  is enacted to read:
 
4.  Condition of funding.     An entity receiving an appropriation or allocation of state funds to support the statewide public broadcasting network or a corporation operating the statewide public broadcasting network shall operate, equip and maintain facilities to ensure delivery of broadcast sources throughout the State, including at least the television transmitters and radio towers identified under paragraphs A and B that were in operation on January 1, 2009 or an equivalent network of transmitters and towers providing equivalent or expanded broadcast coverage throughout the State:
 
A.  The transmitters for television stations located in Presque Isle, Calais, Orono, Augusta and Biddeford; and
 
B.  The radio towers for radio stations located in Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Calais, Bangor, Waterville, Camden and Portland.
 
An appropriation or allocation of state funds may not be made to support the statewide public broadcasting network or any corporation operating the statewide public broadcasting network if this condition is not met, and if this condition is violated during any state fiscal year in which such an appropriation or allocation has been made the entity receiving the appropriation or allocation shall return the full amount of that appropriation or allocation to the Treasurer of State no later than 15 business days after the beginning of the next state fiscal year.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires, as a condition of receiving state funding, that the Maine Public Broadcasting Network operate all of its existing radio towers and television transmitters or an equivalent network providing equal or better broadcast coverage. If the condition is violated, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network must return the state funding.