Ptv Weighs 'Grand Alliance'

Television Digest with Consumer Electronics, March 8, 1999

APTS board unveiled written proposal for new alliances -- including "Grand Alliance" of public broadcasters and "Truly Grand Alliance" with other national and local institutions -- at Capitol Hill Day in Washington March 1. While $650 million in combined revenue would leave joint organization "still small relative to our major competitors," APTS Planning Committee Chmn.

Keith Alexander said, "we'd be in striking distance" of cable and broadcast companies. Meanwhile, he said, DTV capacity will create "singular opportunity" to join forces with arts, cultural, govt., other organizations. APTS's proposed Grand Alliance, umbrella of APTS, CPB, NPR and PBS, would share program development, backroom operations and lobbying functions, Alexander said. He said it would allow public broadcasting to "speak more effectively with one voice." Plan "seems to move forward," new APTS Chmn. Beth Courtney said after preliminary look at written reactions from attendees. She said stations reported that plan would enhance role of public broadcasting and its political clout, as well as aid in fund- raising, but might be too ambitious. Courtney said further planning and research will be needed. Leaders of CPB, NPR, PBS were publicly quiet on issue, telling us that they would let APTS settle matter among its own members before joining conversation. PBS Pres. Ervin Duggan offered only cautious endorsement, warning of "turning inward when we need to turn outward" and said system should "be wary of grand designs. We know what we're here to do." Each national organization should strive to increase efficiency and effectiveness 10-15% annually on its own, Duggan said. Alexander said DTV will provide "more capacity than high- quality content," and that's opportunity for collaboration in "Truly Grand Alliance" with nonbroadcasters. Meanwhile, PTV station managers pressed Congress for more DTV funding. PTV seeks $770 million in DTV money, and "there's money for what we need" in federal budget, APTS Pres. David Brugger said. He said fewer than half of stations had told their representatives of need and warned them not to "wait until the day of an important vote."