(a) Appropriations in the amounts to be determined annually by the general assembly are authorized for the purposes of carrying out this part.

(b) The Tennessee public television council, in accordance with § 49-50-905(d)(3), has the responsibility for submitting budgetary requests for appropriations for the stations to the governor and the proper committees of the general assembly. The council shall satisfy the appropriate committees of the general assembly that the stations are cooperating in providing high quality public television service to the people of this state, that the needs of the people of this state are being met through the provision of adequate instructional, cultural and informational programming and that the stations have implemented mechanisms for determining the needs of the citizens and institutions in their respective coverage areas.

(c) The commissioner of education may be requested by the general assembly to provide testimony concerning the adequacy of the educational television service being provided by the stations and the adequacy of the support services provided by the department of education.

(d) The general assembly shall appropriate funds it deems proper, to be disbursed by the commissioner to the eligible stations upon the terms set forth in this section.

(e) The commissioner shall make annual grants to the eligible stations under the terms of the grant formula that shall be provided by the Tennessee public broadcasting council. It is the responsibility of the commissioner to determine that each station requesting a grant under the terms of this part meets the grant criteria of the funding formula then in force. Having ascertained that each eligible station has met the criteria of the formula, the commissioner is authorized and directed to disburse grants to the stations as expeditiously as possible.

(f) The general assembly may appropriate from time to time capital improvement grants that it may deem proper. The grants shall be used for the purchase, replacement or improvement of the capital equipment of eligible stations and may be used to match grants received from other sources. Capital improvement grants are in addition to other grants that may be provided for station operations under any other provisions of this part.

(g) Capital improvement grants may be made by the general assembly upon the recommendation of the Tennessee public television council, the commissioner or upon the recommendation of other state officials, but no such grant may be made solely upon the recommendation or application of the station to whom the grant is to be awarded.

(h) The commissioner is authorized and directed to disburse sums appropriated for capital improvement grants to the grantee in accordance with the terms of the appropriation.