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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor recognizes the 50th
11 Anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act and Utah's three
15 public television stations; and
16 ▸ recognizes the success and important services provided by KUEN, KUED, and
17 KBYU.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
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21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
22 WHEREAS, Utah public television stations deliver essential educational programs,
23 resources, emergency alert services, and community engagement to all Utah residents;
24 WHEREAS, Utah public television stations provide programming for Utahns
25 throughout all of life's stages, such as early childhood, elementary, middle and high school,
26 postsecondary school, and beyond, in roles that include students, teachers, parents, caregivers,
27 and lifelong learners;
28 WHEREAS, the services of Utah public television broadcasters continue to advance
29 excellence through programs delivered over the air, online, and in-person that educate, engage,
30 and inspire;
31 WHEREAS, 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act enacted
32 by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson "for the
33 enlightenment of all the people";
34 WHEREAS, Utah has the highest number of over-the-air broadcast viewing households
35 in the nation;
36 WHEREAS, Utah has the highest number of broadcast translators in the nation that
37 relay signals across vast and varied terrain;
38 WHEREAS, Utah public television broadcasters collectively air 12 different digital
39 channels designed to reach diverse audiences in all Utah communities;
40 WHEREAS, Utah public television broadcasters air more than 4,200 hours of
41 educational programming each year for Utah's youngest learners as a safe harbor to prepare
42 them for school;
43 WHEREAS, Utah public television broadcasters offer hundreds of workshops,
44 educational community events, websites, applications and tools, and local productions to
45 parents, caregivers, educators, and community partner organizations to facilitate and impact
46 learning;
47 WHEREAS, Utah public television broadcasters produce award-winning educational
48 programs and services that respond to and reflect local issues and concerns independent of
49 commercial interests;
50 WHEREAS, Utahns of all ages enjoy the benefits of three public television stations:
51 KUEN licensed by the State Board of Regents, KUED licensed by the University of Utah, and
52 KBYU licensed by Brigham Young University;
53 WHEREAS, at its inception and today, it is in the public interest to grow and develop
54 public broadcasting services for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes;
55 WHEREAS, Utah has rich heritage as a crossroads of communication technologies
56 from the invention of television by native son Philo T. Farnsworth, to telegraph operations
57 along transcontinental railroad lines, to Fourth Node on ARPANET, predecessor to the
58 Internet, to robust fiber-optic networks;
59 WHEREAS, the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967 further enabled growth of the Internet
60 managed by Utah Education Network (KUEN) and the Utah Telehealth Network to connect all
61 Utah schools, public libraries, telehealth clinics and hospitals, colleges, and universities;
62 WHEREAS, the Utah Legislature formally established the Utah Education Network as
63 the statewide delivery system for education telecommunications in Utah in 1989;
64 WHEREAS, KUEN's purpose is to connect people and technologies to improve
65 education and healthcare in Utah;
66 WHEREAS, KUEN, one of the nation's premier education networks, connects all Utah
67 school districts, schools, and higher education institutions to a robust network and quality
68 educational resources and services that have resulted in students earning higher education
69 credits equivalent to more than 4,145 bachelor's degrees since 2010 and over 5,000 Utah
70 educators learning how to integrate education technology to enhance teaching and learning
71 each year;
72 WHEREAS, KUED signed on the air in 1958 and is recognized as one of the leading
73 public television stations in the country;
74 WHEREAS, KUED's mission is to entertain, inform, and enrich its viewers with
75 exceptional content and be a valued community resource;
76 WHEREAS, KUED is the first station to ever win the Rocky Mountain Emmy Award
77 of Excellence for the Best Overall TV Station, a major recognition of the station's commitment
78 to serve the community through its award-winning productions and outreach programs that
79 engage Utahns with more than 500 workshops and events annually;
80 WHEREAS, KBYU began broadcasts in 1965 and is a viewer-supported public
81 television service of BYU Broadcasting and Brigham Young University;
82 WHEREAS, KBYU broadcasts to the state of Utah and parts of Idaho, Wyoming, and
83 Montana, with nearly one million viewers tuning in each week;
84 WHEREAS, as part of its mission, KBYU airs family-focused and educational
85 programs that educate, entertain, and uplift, and produces high-quality original content such as
86 documentaries that capture the unique history and culture of our great state; and
87 WHEREAS, the three stations continue to innovate with new technologies and media
88 delivery systems for the benefit of all Utahns:
89 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Public Broadcasting Act signed into law
90 50 years ago in 1967 "for the enlightenment of all people" has spawned and facilitated the
91 success of public broadcasting television throughout the state, with the services of KUEN,
92 KUED, and KBYU providing immeasurable impact on the education and enlightenment of
93 Utah's children, youth, students, parents, lifelong learners, and community members.
94 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the governing
95 boards of each station, the Federal Communications Commission, the Corporation for Public
96 Broadcasting, and members of the Utah congressional delegation.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel