Quick Takes
Knight Foundation aids hurricane relief in Puerto Rico with LPRC grant
|
The funds will help stations get back on the air and maintain service after Hurricane Maria.
System/Policy
Back-to-back hurricanes sideline Puerto Rico pubcasters
|
Hurricane Maria, which left the island without electricity, “has had a catastrophic impact on Puerto Rico’s communications networks,” according to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
Programs/Content
Puerto Rican station drops PBS shows
|
Puerto Rico’s government-controlled WIPR dropped its PBS membership on July 1 — the fourth member station to quit this year. Puerto Rico TV, which produces and broadcasts mostly in Spanish, carried only the English versions of PBS Kids programs. A separate station — Sistema TV (WMTJ), licensed to the private Ana G. Méndez University System — carries a selection of general audience PBS programs.
PBS lost WIPR fees amounting to $713,000 a year. The network earlier lost KCET in Los Angeles on Jan. 1 and two Florida stations as of July 1: Orlando’s WMFE-TV, and Daytona’s WDSC-TV, which shared their service area with a third station, which continues as a PBS outlet. Pedro Rua, WIPR’s executive v.p., said WIPR and PBS negotiated for about a year but could not reach an agreement that would retain the station as a member.