US politician Jason Morgan, a Democratic state representative in Michigan, has introduced a new bill aimed at funding PBS and public radio stations after support for these institutions was slashed earlier this summer. 

The SAVE ELMO (Securing Access to Vibrant, Enlightening Education and Local Media Outlets) Act seeks to create a US$13-million Public Media Fund designed to help finance public service media that serve Michigan’s communities. 

This fund would disburse grants of up to US$1.5 million per station, awarded through the Michigan Department of Education, to help support programming, staffing, infrastructure upgrades and technical operations. Stations will have to be Michigan-based and have a commitment to public-interest programming to qualify.

“I grew up learning from public media,” said Morgan in a statement last week. “Mister Rogers taught us to love our neighbors, Elmo (pictured) taught us how to listen to each other, and [The Red Green Show] taught us that duct tape can fix just about anything. For families across Michigan, especially in rural and small towns, PBS wasn’t just TV—it was our classroom, our concert hall and our newsroom. Pulling the plug on that isn’t saving money; it’s stealing opportunity. And I can’t let that happen.”

Even if it is Michigan-focused, this new fund could be a lifeline that eases the strain on PBS and local stations that have lost one of their major funding sources when the US government decided in July to close the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In the weeks since, PBS has cut its budget by 21% and reduced station dues to provide some relief to member stations dealing with their own budget cuts.  

Image courtesy of Sesame Workshop.