MN HF353

$15,000,000 appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2020 to the commissioner of administration for equipment grants to public television stations.

Commissioner may use up to 1.5 percent of the appropriation for administrative costs.

Stations must meet eligibility criteria under Minnesota Statutes section 129D.12 and submit equipment purchase lists to the commissioner before receiving grants.

"Equipment" defined as physical infrastructure, hardware, and software for production, dissemination, interconnection, and transmission of digital media content with useful life of 7 to 40 years.

Funds allocated as follows: two-sevenths to Twin Cities PBS; one-seventh each to KSMQ (Austin), Pioneer Public Television (Granite Falls), Lakeland PBS (Bemidji), Prairie Public (Fargo/Moorhead), and WDSE (Duluth).