[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SALUTING ILLINOIS BROADCASTERS AND BROADCASTERS ACROSS THE NATION

  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, broadcasters across this Nation have a 
single mandate from the Federal Government, to serve the public 
interest in the communities where they operate. I am pleased that the 
Illinois broadcasters in my State do such an excellent job both on and 
off the air.
  A recent survey conducted by the Illinois Broadcasters Association 
indicates that the average TV station in my State contributes over half 
a million dollars annually in air time for public service announcements 
and over 80,000 per radio station.
  These stations are an integral part of small town USA and even create 
a sense of community in large cities. Local stations provide the news 
we depend on, the weather warnings we count on, and the public affairs 
programs which give viewers and listeners the opportunity to hear from 
their elected officials.
  I salute the Illinois broadcasters in my district and the 
broadcasters across the Nation that do such a fine job day in and day 
out. America's system of free, over-the-air broadcasting has been on 
the job since the 1920s and still serves us well almost 80 years later. 
It is one thing we can all count on in the next millennium.

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