1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to appropriations; providing funding for 
  1.3             public radio and television; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [PUBLIC BROADCASTING; APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.6      $6,773,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.7   commissioner of administration for the purposes indicated in 
  1.8   this section.  "The first year" means the fiscal year ending 
  1.9   June 30, 2000.  "The second year" means the fiscal year ending 
  1.10  June 30, 2001. 
  1.11     $1,450,000 the first year and $1,450,000 the second year 
  1.12  are for matching grants for public television.  
  1.13     $600,000 the first year and $600,000 the second year are 
  1.14  for public television equipment needs.  Equipment grant 
  1.15  allocations shall be made after considering the recommendations 
  1.16  of the Minnesota public television association. 
  1.17     $113,000 the first year is for grants to noncommercial 
  1.18  television stations to assist with conversion to a digital 
  1.19  broadcast signal as mandated by the federal government.  In 
  1.20  order to qualify for a grant, a station must meet the criteria 
  1.21  established for grants in Minnesota Statutes, section 129D.12, 
  1.22  subdivision 2. 
  1.23     $441,000 the first year and $441,000 the second year are 
  1.24  for grants for public information television transmission of 
  2.1   legislative activities.  At least one-half must go for 
  2.2   programming to be broadcast in rural Minnesota. 
  2.3      $25,000 the first year and $25,000 the second year are for 
  2.4   grants to the Twin Cities regional cable channel. 
  2.5      $320,000 the first year and $320,000 the second year are 
  2.6   for community service grants to public educational radio 
  2.7   stations, which must be allocated after considering the 
  2.8   recommendations of the Association of Minnesota Public 
  2.9   Educational Radio Stations under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.10  129D.14.  Of this appropriation, $30,000 the first year and 
  2.11  $30,000 the second year are for station WTIP-FM in Grand Marais, 
  2.12  which need not meet the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, 
  2.13  section 129D.14, until July 1, 2002.  
  2.14     $494,000 the first year and $494,000 the second year are 
  2.15  for equipment grants to public radio stations.  These grants 
  2.16  must be allocated after considering the recommendations of the 
  2.17  Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations and 
  2.18  Minnesota Public Radio, Inc. 
  2.19     If an appropriation for either year for grants to public 
  2.20  television or radio stations is not sufficient, the 
  2.21  appropriation for the other year is available for it.