Community Service Grant
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Unanimously
WHEREAS,
Locally owned and operated public media stations are uniquely connected to America’s communities and positioned to reflect and serve the varying populations of their communities, and
WHEREAS,
CPB management recognizes changes in state and federal law may affect Community Service Grant (CSG) policy.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendation for removal of the Community Representation Statement Requirement as a pre-requisite for CSG program eligibility, effective immediately.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, December 11, 2023
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public radio stations in a manner intended to provide for the needs and requirements of stations so that they may serve their local communities and audiences; and
WHEREAS,
The Community Service Grant (CSG) program is the primary mechanism for CPB to provide this financial support to local stations; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has consulted with a panel of radio station representatives regarding changes to CSG policy and invited and received comment directly from public radio stations as part of this consultation process; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has reviewed and endorses the panel’s recommendations that current policies be retained – including organization by grantee coverage area population (CAP) categories, alignment of minimum non-federal financial support and staffing requirements with CAP categories, methodology for reporting indirect administrative support, extension of the incentive grant to all grantees, applying the 1.25 multiplier for minority grantees’ NFFS up to $5 million, and the three-year probationary period for grantees that do not meet eligibility requirements – except as outlined below.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendations for the following changes to radio CSG policy.
Recommendation 1
Increase the base grant amounts in coverage area population (CAP) categories 1, 2 and 3 for fiscal year 2025 by ten percent.
Continue to align base grants with CAP categories and adjust all base grants proportionately with the CPB appropriation. Continue to provide base grants for grantees designated as minority or rural an amount no lower than the CAP category 3 base grant.
Recommendation 2
Incentive Grants
To calculate the incentive grant portion of the CSG, implement the tiering of non-federal financial support (NFFS) as follows:
- Tier 1: Apply the incentive rate of return (IRR)[1] to 100% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar up to $3 million.
- Tier 2: Apply the IRR to 95% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar over $3 million but less than $15 million.
- Tier 3: Apply the IRR to 80% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar over $15 million.
[1] IRR is the incentive rate of return or CPB’s match to each eligible dollar of NFFS. The IRR is derived by dividing the total amount of system NFFS dollars approved for matching by the total amount of dollars in the incentive grant pool. The incentive grant pool is comprised of the balance of CSG funds available after the base grant and supplemental grants are calculated.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, DC
Monday, December 11, 2023
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Under the provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act, CPB makes grants to eligible public television stations in a manner intended to provide for the needs and requirements of stations so that they may serve their local communities and audiences; and
WHEREAS,
The Community Service Grant (CSG) program is the primary mechanism for CPB to provide this financial support to local stations; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has consulted with a panel of television station representatives regarding changes to CSG policy and invited and received comment directly from public television stations as part of this consultation process; and
WHEREAS,
CPB management has reviewed and endorses the panel’s recommendations that current policies be retained – including the base grant formula, methodology for reporting indirect administrative support, the minimum non-federal financial support eligibility requirement, and the second base grant policy for mergers – except as outlined below.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendations for the following changes to television CSG policy.
Recommendation 1
Incentive Grant
Retain the tiering of non-federal financial support (NFFS) to calculate the incentive grant portion of the CSG with a change to Tier 3, applying the incentive rate of return (IRR) [1] to 80% instead of 95% of a grantees’ NFFS:
- Tier 1: Apply the IRR to 100% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar up to $3 million.
- Tier 2: Apply the IRR to 92.5% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar over $3 million but less than $20 million.
- Tier 3: Apply the IRR to 80% of a grantee’s NFFS for each dollar of $20 million or more.
Recommendation 2
Incentive Grant
Calculate the incentive grants of grantees that report NFFS of $35 million or more by using a five-year average NFFS. Then, tier the average NFFS per CPB policy.
Discontinue the current year-over-year growth limit on NFFS and options for grantees reporting more than $35 million in NFFS to make allocations of NFFS into future years.
Recommendation 3
Universal Service Support Grant
Increase the pool for the Universal Service Support Grant program from 2% of the CPB’s federal appropriation to 2.2%.
[1] IRR is the incentive rate of return or CPB’s match to each eligible dollar of NFFS. The IRR is derived by dividing the total amount of system NFFS dollars approved for matching by the total amount of dollars in the incentive grant pool. The incentive grant pool is comprised of the balance of CSG funds available after the base grant and supplemental grants are calculated.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, October 16, 2023
7 approved; 1 absent
WHEREAS,
The Communications Act requires CPB to support diverse non-commercial educational content for unserved and underserved audiences and to make public media’s content available for free to rural and urban audiences throughout the United States.
WHEREAS,
Locally owned and operated public media stations are uniquely connected to America’s communities and positioned to reflect and serve the diverse and varying populations of their communities.
WHEREAS,
CPB management has consulted with a panel of radio and television station representatives regarding changes to CSG policy that has informed management’s recommendations to the CPB Board.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendations for changes to the CSG Diversity Statement Requirement:
CPB encourages stations to continue to reflect and include their communities in station employment, membership on boards primarily responsible for station governance, community advisory boards (if required) and to provide educational, informational, and cultural content that meets the needs of the community populations they serve. Station activities and practices in support of these objectives must be consistent with the Equal Employment Opportunity provisions in the Community Service Grant General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria[1] and with other applicable federal and state laws.
To affirm this ongoing commitment, stations are required to adopt a “Community Representation Statement” that documents their support of these goals and how they plan to achieve them. The Community Representation Statement must be posted on the station’s website or made available at its central office. Stations must biennially review their Community Representation Statements with their governing body and modify them as necessary to reflect significant changes in their communities’ populations served and their strategies to serve them.
[1] Currently in Section 20 of the General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Monday, June 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
Following discussions with the 2019 Television Community Service Grant (CSG) Policy Review panel, CPB commissioned research regarding the optimal period of time that television Community Service Grant (CSG) recipients that have merged should continue to receive the base grants that would have been provided to each of the grantees before the merger; and
WHEREAS,
CPB engaged research firm Pacey Economics, Inc, and has considered the research findings; and
WHEREAS,
Based on those research findings, CPB management seeks authorization to modify TV CSG policy to set the number of years a second base grant be provided at pre-merger levels to merged television entities to four years.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
The CPB Board of Directors approves modifying TV CSG policy to set the number of years that CPB provides merging television CSG grantees with a second CSG base grant at pre-merger levels to four years.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
June 28, 2021
unanimously
WHEREAS,
In September 2019, the CPB Board approved TV Community Service Grant (CSG) policy changes that included the establishment of a $1 million Healthy Network Initiative to begin October 1, 2020, to support eligible grantees that strategically develop and use data to more effectively understand, engage, and serve their audiences more effectively.
WHEREAS,
Since that time, COVID-19 created unprecedented economic disruption across the
nation, challenging public television stations’ ability to maintain local programming
and services.
WHEREAS,
On May 5, 2020, the Board approved Management’s recommendation to postpone the launch of this initiative so that public television stations could focus on addressing their communities’ intensified educational, health and safety, and public information needs during the COVID-19 crisis.
WHEREAS,
This period of financial uncertainty and intensified provision of services continues.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendation to postpone the launch of the TV CSG Healthy Network Initiative from FY 2022 to
FY 2023; and retain for distribution through the television CSG pool the $1 million
that would have been allocated to the initiative in FY 2022.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
unanimously
WHEREAS,
The CPB Board of Directors approved policy on August 6, 2007, allowing a merged entity of two television Community Service Grant (CSG) grantees to receive for a minimum of four years the base grant funds that would have been provided to each of the grantees before the merger; and
WHEREAS,
The CPB Board of Directors resolved on September 23, 2019, to leave the current CSG policy regarding base grants for merged television entities in place for a one-year period and directed CPB management to research and quantify the optimal amount of time that merged entities need to continue receiving base grants at a pre-merger level, and report back to the CPB Board with its findings and recommendations; and
WHEREAS,
CPB staff requires additional time to complete its research and expects to develop recommendations for the Board to consider in Fall 2021.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors approves retaining the current television base grants policy pending completion of research and presentation to the CPB Board of recommendations for the optimal amount of time for merged entities to continue receiving base grants at a pre-merger level.
RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
May 5, 2020
(7 in favor; 1 absent)
WHEREAS,
In September 2019, the CPB Board approved TV Community Service Grant policy changes that included the establishment of a $1 million Healthy Network Initiative to begin October 1, 2020, to support eligible grantees that strategically develop and use data to more effectively understand, engage, and serve their audiences.
WHEREAS,
Since that time, COVID-19 has created unprecedented economic disruption across the nation, challenging public television stations’ ability to maintain local programming and services.
WHEREAS,
Public television stations have incurred additional costs to meet their communities’ intensified educational, health and safety, and public information needs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
WHEREAS,
CPB Management, with the endorsement of the 2019 Television Community Service Grant panel of station representatives that originally recommended the Healthy Network Initiative, recommends delaying implementation of the new Healthy Network Initiative to FY 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT
The CPB Board of Directors hereby adopts CPB management’s recommendation to postpone the launch of the CSG Healthy Network Initiative from FY 2021 to FY 2022; and distribute as unrestricted funds through the general CSG pool the $1 million that would have been allocated to the initiative in FY 2021.