BERKLEY ANNOUNCES $550,000 GRANT FOR VEGAS PBS

(September 16, 2008 -- Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today announced that southern Nevada’s public broadcasting affiliate Vegas PBS (Ch.10) has been awarded more than $550,000 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce for new digital production equipment that will help the station fulfill its mission.

“Public broadcasting is a national treasure and we are so lucky to have Vegas PBS in southern Nevada as a voice for our community and a place where we can all learn about the issues that are affecting Las Vegas, the nation and the world. These funds will enable Vegas PBS to purchase new digital equipment to help with their mission of educating and informing the public on a range of topics and with programming for all ages,” said Berkley.

The grant was awarded under the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) which supports the expansion and improvement of public telecommunications services by providing matching grants for public facilities that deliver educational and cultural programs across the nation. Established in 1962, PTFP has contributed to bringing public broadcasting services to almost 97% of the population. In addition, PTFP supports the replacement and improvement of the public broadcasting infrastructure including the upgrade to digital technologies. The program also provides funds to educational institutions and non-profit organizations for a variety of technology-oriented distance learning projects.

GRANT SPECIFICS:

Awarded to: Clark County School District/Vegas PBS

Grant Amount: $561,979.00

Description: A project to purchase digital studio and field production equipment; including a production switcher, three studio camera systems, a camcorder system, audio consoles, monitor walls and related equipment.

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