Panel Backs Compromise to Preserve PBS Funding

Republicans and Democrats alike lined up Tuesday behind a proposal that would prohibit public broadcast stations from trading their contributor lists with political parties.

The issue embroiled several stations across the country in controversy after they acknowledged sharing donor information with Democratic fund-raisers. This infuriated Republicans--many of whom have long charged that the nonprofit public broadcasting system improperly leans to the political left.

The furor prompted some on Capitol Hill to call for a reexamination of federal funding for public broadcasting and resulted in an often tense appearance before a House panel Tuesday by top public broadcasting executives.

The officials, stung with criticism, repeatedly apologized for the practices of their partner stations and acknowledged that the disclosures had damaged their stations’ credibility. They pledged a full internal investigation and said that they are open to an independent, external review.

“We have to say to you that we blew it,” said Robert T. Coonrod, president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He labeled the trades by partner stations as “a manifestly stupid thing.”

Coonrod told the panel that an initial survey of the largest 75 public television stations showed that “fewer than 30” of them had exchanged member lists with political organizations--more than the officials had previously conceded.

Not all of the stations traded only with Democratic groups, he said. Previously undisclosed Republican organizations, including the 1996 presidential campaign of Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), were among groups receiving contributor lists.

Despite the GOP link, several Republicans said the controversy underscores their contention that public broadcasting--which receives 15% of its funding from the government--should become fully independent.

“Big Bird is 30 years old,” said Rep. Steve Largent (R-Okla.), “and it’s time to leave the federal nest.”

Democrats responded that ending federal support for public broadcasting could only make practices like list-swapping more common as stations struggled to stay financially solvent while still providing educational and cultural programming that is not seen on most for-profit channels.

However, it seemed likely that the Commerce subcommittee on telecommunications, trade and consumer protection would approve an increase in funding from $250 million to at least $300 million.

Even before public broadcasting officials began their testimony, committee members suggested the ban on trading lists as a way of preserving federal funding.

“I think we can all quickly reach a consensus,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the panel. “We can join together in making sure such conduct is prohibited by law.”

For much of the hearing, lawmakers from both parties made clear that they see a need for officials with the Public Broadcasting Service and the umbrella funding organization, the Corporation for Public Television, to demand more accountability from stations.

Republicans were particularly sharp in their criticism, as they have been outside the committee room in recent days as individual stations from Boston to San Francisco have revealed past list swaps.

KCET, the lead public station in Southern California, has acknowledged purchasing donor names from both Republicans and Democrats--but not selling or trading their own member information.

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Times staff writer Judith Michaelson contributed to this story from Los Angeles.