Public Broadcasting Funding Nears After Accords in Senate

After months of controversy, a $1.1-billion bill to fund public broadcasting services for three years appeared Tuesday to be headed for relatively clear sailing in the Senate after bipartisan agreements were reached on issues of balance and decency in programming.

Conservative opponents, with the backing of the Bush Administration, were pressing ahead, however, with efforts to cut the funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. An amendment was to be offered before today’s scheduled vote on the bill to reduce the proposed authorization from $1.1 billion to $875 million.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), floor manager for the legislation, expressed confidence that the cuts would be blocked by a coalition of Democratic and Republican supporters.

Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N. C.), who had sponsored the amendment to cut funding to $875 million, was absent because he was undergoing heart surgery. His proposal is being pushed by a conservative colleague, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

The public broadcasting bill was shelved last March after Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and other GOP critics of CPB argued that its programs showed a pronounced “liberal bias” that should not be tolerated.

A compromise reached between Dole and Inouye, however, would provide for greater public disclosure of CPB’s procedures for allocating funds to producers of public television and radio programs. It also would make available reports from public television and radio stations on how they use funds received from the private, nonprofit corporation.

Sponsors of the bill also accepted an amendment proposed by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) that would further curtail the hours during which so-called “indecent programming” could be shown on public or commercial television stations.

Federal Communications Commission rules now prohibit such programs from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Byrd’s proposal--which appeared likely to get unanimous or near-unanimous agreement when today’s vote is taken--would extend the hours from 6 a.m. to midnight. In the case of stations that go off the air at midnight, the ban would extend until 10 p.m.

The Senate bill, which authorizes funds that will be appropriated later, is similar to a House-approved measure adopted by voice vote last November.