Media Advisory: Moms Rally Governor Rendell and Legislature to Restore Public Television Funding; May 5th Event to Be Photographed and Recorded/Fed Via Satellite

Media Advisory: Moms Rally Governor Rendell and Legislature to Restore Public Television Funding; May 5th Event to Be Photographed and Recorded/Fed Via Satellite

WHO: Mothers, day care providers, grandparents, musicians, community volunteers and PBS costume characters, along with employees and board members of Pennsylvania's eight (8) educational public television stations: WITF Harrisburg; WQLN Erie; WHYY Philadelphia; WPSU State College; WLVT Bethlehem; WVIA Pittston; WYBE Philadelphia; and WQED Pittsburgh

WHAT: Moms, children and volunteers will stage a protest inside the state capital to draw public attention to the Governor's proposed elimination of state funding for educational public television in Pennsylvania

   WHERE: Pennsylvania State Capital Building    WHEN: Tuesday, May 5, 2009, noon to 12:30 p.m.  

At 11:45 a.m., moms and children in strollers will gather at the main entrance to the Capital Rotunda (instead of Strawberry Square, as previously announced due to inclement weather) where, at noon, they will parade inside and stage a protest and rally

WHY: In February, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell eliminated $8 million dollars from the 2009 state budget for the eight (8) public television stations in the Commonwealth. The funding supports local programming production and, for some of the smaller stations, basic daily operations support to provide public, non-commercial educational media to millions of households in Pennsylvania. Without the restoration of these funds in next year's state budget, broadcast operations will be diminished, jobs could be eliminated and for smaller stations, operations could cease altogether.

HOW: Since February, the stations and their viewers have mounted a communications campaign to have Governor Rendell and the State Legislature restore this essential state funding. The on-air, e-mail and letter campaign now culminates in this rally with personal visits to the leadership of the Pennsylvania Senate and House to ask for funding to be restored.

NOTE TO WORKING PRESS -- Satellite Feed Time and Coordinates -- 4:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Tuesday May 5, 2009

   Trouble Phone Number:  717-910-2959   C-Band Digital Satellite   Anik F2   Transponder:  6A1   Downlink:  3906.5 H   Sym Rate:  4.232   FEC:  5/6   

Digital photos of the day will be provided upon request. Media contacts can coordinate to meet reporters' deadlines.

CONTACT: Rosemary Martinelli of WQED Pittsburgh, +1-412-670-9942; or Tom New of WQLN Erie, +1-814-434-2344

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- May 4/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: WQED Pittsburgh

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