[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   KEEP FUNDING FOR CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING IN THE BUDGET

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                        HON. WJ. (BILLY) TAUZIN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 7, 1995
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support efforts to cut 
unnecessary programs out of the Federal budget but I believe funding 
for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and our local PBS stations 
certainly doesn't fall in that category.
  I think of Federal funding for Louisiana Public Broadcasting as an 
investment, not a subsidy; 75 percent of the CPB money goes back to the 
local PBS stations and networks like LPB. Federal funding for the 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting also helps public stations to 
generate more money from viewers and other sources.
  Every weekday, LPB provides 8\1/2\ hours of commercial-free, 
nonviolent educational programming for children to help them learn how 
to count, write, and get along with each other. Since more than 600,000 
homes in my State do not have cable television, LPB is the only source 
of quality programming available to 40 percent of the households in the 
State.
  Louisiana Public Broadcasting is also an invaluable educational 
resource for teachers. Not only does LPB provide instructional 
television shows which teachers can incorporate into their lesson 
plans, it has also set up satellite receiving stations in all 64 
parishes so that school systems can broaden their curriculum through 
distance learning.
  Through LPB satellite courses, teachers can become certified to teach 
adult education, special education, environmental science, and English, 
as a second language, classes. LPB is one of only 25 PBS stations and 
networks in the country taking part in PBS Mathline, a nationwide 
effort by public television stations to improve math instruction in 
schools.
  Stephanie Fournier and Roslyn Dempster, two teachers from Terrebonne 
Parish, are part of the mathline project. They sent me a letter 
detailing what LPB and Public Broadcasting has meant to them.

       Public Broadcasting has opened a communication network 
     between teachers through Mathline, not just here in Louisiana 
     but throughout the United States, that we could not have 
     entered otherwise.
       Teachers have a wealth of information but very limited 
     resources for sharing with others. Mathline has allowed new 
     and innovative teaching ideas to be available to teachers at 
     the touch of a button.
       Representative Tauzin, there is so much we can say about 
     the mathline project. If PBS funds are cut, and the mathline 
     project could not be continued, it would be a great loss to 
     Louisiana, the United States and the entire educational 
     community. We strongly support PBS and we strongly urge 
     Congress to continue funding.

  It is signed ``Sincerely in Support of PBS.'' Roslyn Dempster and 
Stephanie Fournier''.
  I would also like to read an excerpt from a letter sent by Felicia 
Harry, another one of my constituents.

       LPB is the State's only television network with a 
     community-based educational mission. LPB makes it easier for 
     our children to learn, easier for parents to allow their 
     children to watch television, and easier for all citizens to 
     be better informed and entertained.

  Federal funding also allows LPB to provide programs to help adults 
get their GED, improve their literacy level and take college courses at 
home.
  In a State with alarmingly high dropout and illiteracy rates, 
damaging one of the few public entities making a difference in the 
fight to educate our population would be counterproductive. Let us not 
do something that we are going to regret after irreversible damage has 
been already done. Let's keep funding for the Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting and local public television stations in the budget.


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