Smithsonian discloses TV deal

The Smithsonian Institution has given U.S. lawmakers a copy of its semi-exclusive television contract with Showtime Networks Inc. -- a deal criticized by researchers, filmmakers and others.

Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small told the House Administration Committee that the Smithsonian is locked into the contract for three decades, though many details have not made public. He disclosed Thursday that the Smithsonian is guaranteed $500,000 a year and can earn more depending on the popularity of the Smithsonian on Demand channel, a new cable television venture.

The committee was given a copy of the 170-page contract, but it was to be kept confidential. The secrecy surrounding the contract displeased the House Appropriations Committee, which cut the proposed Smithsonian budget by $20 million.

A group of more than 214 academics and filmmakers have protested the deal, calling it “anti-competitive.” They argued in a letter to Small, the Smithsonian’s top official, that it would “discourage independent filmmakers from creating projects for other media outlets.”