Public Broadcasting Amendments Act of 1981

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #102 (323-86))

Public Broadcasting Amendments Act of 1981 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize appropriations for the planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities for fiscal years 1982 through 1984. Permits facilities for which construction grants are being sought to be used for purposes other than the provision of public telecommunications service, if such purposes do not interfere with the provision of such services. Limits to 50 percent of cost the amount of funds the Secretary of Commerce may provide for planning such facilities.

Requires the first four members of the Public Broadcasting Corporation's Board of Directors appointed after a specified date to be representatives of licensees and permittees of public television and radio stations. Sets forth the method of selecting such representatives.

Requires the Corporation to submit to Congress in May, rather than February, an annual report detailing the Corporation's activities.

Authorizes appropriations to the Public Broadcasting Fund for fiscal years 1984 through 1986. Requires disbursements from such Fund to be made on an annual rather than a quarterly basis. Directs the Corporation to establish an annual budget for use in allocating amounts from the Fund. Limits the amount available for: (1) the Corporation's administrative expenses to five percent of such allocation; (2) other Corporation expenses to not less than five percent of such allocation; (3) distribution among public television station licensees, for contracts for independent production of public television program and for acquisition of such programs, to 75 percent of the remainder; and (4) distribution among public radio station licensees, for contracts for production of public radio programs and for acquisition of such programs, to 25 percent of the remainder. Requires public television and radio stations, rather than the Corporation, to defray the costs of interconnection facilities and operations. Requires a substantial amount of the funds utilized for contracts for production of public television and radio programs and for acquisition of such programs to be reserved for distribution to independent producers.

Requires the Corporation, in consultation with public radio stations and with National Public Radio, to determine the allocation of funds for public radio stations and to review annually the criteria for such allocations.

Requires each public broadcast station to assure that: (1) its advisory board meets at regular intervals; (2) the members of such board regularly attend board meetings; and (3) the members of such board are reasonably representative of the community.

Prohibits any noncommercial educational broadcasting station which receives a grant from the Corporation from engaging in editorializing (currently no such noncommercial station may editorialize).

Authorizes public broadcast stations to broadcast announcements using any business or institutional logogram and referring to the location of the organization involved provided such announcements do not interrupt regular programming. Authorizes any such station to offer services, facilities, or products in exchange for remuneration, except that no such station may use its facilities for broadcasting an advertisement. Prohibits the use of funds distributed by the Corporation to defray the costs associated with offering services, facilities, or products for remuneration. Excludes the proceeds from such endeavors from the computation of non-Federal financial support for Corporation distribution purposes. Requires each such station which offers services, facilities, or products for remuneration to develop an accounting system to identify remuneration for or costs related to such activities and to account for such amounts separately from other receipts.

Establishes the Temporary Commission on Alternative Financing for Public Telecommunications (the Commission) to study and submit to Congress by a specified date the options available to public telecommunications entities, the Public Broadcasting Service, and National Public Radio for the development of alternative sources of revenue.

Requires the Commission to establish an 18 month demonstration program to determine the feasibility of permitting public television and radio licensees to broadcast advertising announcements. Requires the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to select a specified number of public television and radio licensees to participate in the program. Sets forth the manner of and criteria for such selection. Authorizes selected licensees to broadcast qualifying advertising at the beginning or end of regular programming. Authorizes broadcast of a qualifying advertisement during a program which lasts more than two hours if it is shown: (1) during a break in the program scheduled for station identification; or (2) at other times which will not unduly disrupt the program. Limits the duration of consecutive advertising announcements to two minutes. Limits the frequency of such advertising announcements to one every 30 minutes.

Requires the Commission to specify the types of advertisements which may be broadcast during the demonstration program. Authorizes licensees to broadcast institutional advertisements and advertisements relating to specific products, services, or facilities. Prohibits authorizing or requiring licensees to broadcast advertisements which: (1) promote opinions on matters of public importance, political issues, or matters relating to religion; or (2) support or oppose political candidates.

Grants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the authority to determine whether any advertising announcement is qualifying advertising.

Requires the Commission to establish requirements for selling broadcast time for advertising during the demonstration program. Authorizes the Commission to establish criteria for the participants in the demonstration program to the extent such criteria are necessary to assist the Commission in preparing its report to Congress. Requires the FCC to resolve any issue regarding compliance with provisions of this Act relating to qualifying advertisements.

Requires the Commission to analyze the results of the demonstration program, to report to Congress regarding such program, and to include recommendations for appropriate actions.