39.11 Educational communications board; duties. The educational communications board shall:

(1) Receive and disburse state, federal and private funds and engage or contract for such personnel and facilities as it deems necessary to carry out the purpose of this section.

(2) Plan, construct and develop a state system of radio broadcasting for the presentation of educational, informational and public service programs and formulate policies regulating the operation of such a state system.

(3) Protect the public interest in educational television by making application to the federal communications commission for educational television channels reserved for Wisconsin, and take such action as is necessary to preserve such channels to Wisconsin for educational use.

(4) Initiate, develop and maintain a comprehensive state plan for the orderly operation of a statewide television system for the presentation of noncommercial instructional programs that will serve the best interests of the people of the state now and in the future.

(5) Work with the educational agencies and institutions of the state as reviewer, adviser and coordinator of their joint efforts to meet the educational needs of the state through radio, television and other appropriate technologies.

(6) Furnish leadership in securing adequate funding for statewide joint use of radio and television for educational and cultural purposes, including funding for media programming for broadcast over the state networks. The educational communications board may submit joint budget requests with state agencies and other nonstate organizations or corporations for the purposes enumerated in this subsection.

(7) Lease, purchase or construct radio and television facilities for joint use, such as network interconnection or relay equipment, mobile units, or other equipment available for statewide use.

(8) Apply for, construct and operate radio and television transmission equipment in order to provide broadcast service to all areas of this state.

(9) Establish and maintain a continuing evaluation of the effectiveness of the joint efforts of all participating educational institutions in terms of jointly-established goals in the area of educational radio and television.

(10) Act as a central clearing house and source of information concerning educational radio and television activities in this state, including the furnishing of such information to legislators, offices of government, educational institutions and the general public.

(11) If appropriate funds are made available, file applications after appropriate engineering studies and feasibility surveys for the construction and operation of noncommercial educational radio and television transmitters in the vicinities of Wausau, Colfax, La Crosse and Appleton and translators in the Platteville and Ashland area.

(12) Establish and operate, as soon as practicable, an interconnection between the broadcast facilities and higher education campuses to facilitate statewide use of closed circuit and broadcast radio and television for educational purposes. Additional facilities may be authorized by the educational communications board if deemed necessary and if funds are available for such purposes.

(13) Throughout this development, seek to cooperate with similar bodies in other states and participate in regional and national network planning so as to insure maximum educational benefits for the people of this state.

(14) Coordinate the radio activities of the various educational and informational agencies, civic groups, and citizens having contributions to make to the public interest and welfare.

(15) Manage, operate and maintain broadcasting station WLBL.

(16) When appropriate and related to the programs of the state educational radio and television network, procure or publish instructional material. A reasonable handling charge may be established to cover the costs of providing this material.

(16m) Give priority in the development of instructional television programs to programs specific to this state.

(17) Assist any state agency, upon its request, in the development and review of plans for the utilization of educational radio and television to include, but not be limited to, equipment, personnel, facilities and programming.

(17m) Maintain annual records of its expenditures for programming purposes by type of programming and by source of revenue. By December 1, 1981, and annually thereafter, the educational communications board shall submit to the governor and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2), a report on all of the board's sources of revenue by source and amount.

(21) Operate an emergency weather warning system.

History: 1971 c. 211; 1973 c. 90, 333; 1975 c. 39; 1981 c. 20; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 186, 399; 1991 a. 39, 269; 1993 a. 16, 213, 437; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 83; 2003 a. 33; 2015 a. 55; 2019 a. 9.

The board's relationship with support organizations is discussed. 70 Atty. Gen. 163.