♪ MUSIC REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

HELLO, I'M LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA F. I'M DELIGHTED THAT OUR GUEST TODAY IS FRANZ JOACHIM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>FRANZ: I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE, I REALLY AM.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER A LONG TIME AND I'VE HAD SUCH RESPECT FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR NEW MEXICO PBS AND FOR KNME.

SO YOUR JOB, YOUR TITLE IS THE GENERAL MANAGER AND CEO OF KNME NEW MEXICO PBS, YOU'VE HELD THAT TITLE AS CEO SINCE 2013.

>>FRANZ: THAT'S RIGHT.

>>LORENE: BUT HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE TRENCHES IN RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING?

>>FRANZ: WELL, I'M GOING TO COUNT MY TIME AS A STUDENT.

I STARTED IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AT THEIR PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION, KUAT-TV, NOW ARIZONA PUBLIC MEDIA.

I STARTED IN DECEMBER OF 1976 RUNNING CAMERA FOR PLEDGE DRIVES, DOING THOSE PHONE SHOTS, GETTING THOSE PHONE SHOTS, WHICH WAS SO MUCH FUN AND I COUNT THAT TIME BECAUSE WE WERE TREATED AS PROFESSIONALS AND TRAINED AS PROFESSIONALS AND PAID.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND WHILE IT WAS PART-TIME, I WAS A REALLY BAD STUDENT AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME SKIPPING CLASSES SO I COULD DO MORE WORK AND HANG OUT AT THE STATION MORE, SO I SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE.

SO, STARTING IN DECEMBER OF 1976, WORKING, GETTING PAID.

>>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH.

YOU ACTUALLY GOT A DEGREE IN RADIO TELEVISION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.

>>FRANZ: SO I STARTED OFF TO BE AN ENGINEER, ENGINEERING PHYSICS AND THEN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, AND SOON FOUND OUT I WAS A TERRIBLE ENGINEER AND I COULDN'T HACK THE MATH.

FOURIER TRANSFORMS JUST KICKED ME, I JUST, I COULDN'T GET PAST IT.

SO I ENDED UP DOING VERY POORLY AND DROPPING OUT FOR A WHILE AND MY FATHER, HE ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU SHOULD JUST FORGE YOUR OWN PATH, FIGURE IT OUT.

BUT HE DID SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO GET A DEGREE IN SOMETHING, GET A DEGREE.

THIS IS IMPORTANT, THIS IS GOING TO MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR WORLD.

HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TRACK COACH, I'D HAVE BEEN A HIGH SCHOOL TRACK COACH, BUT I GOT A DEGREE IN, YOU KNOW, AN EDUCATION DEGREE, AND NOW I'M TEACHING NAVIGATION FOR THE AIR FORCE.

HE JUST THOUGHT EDUCATION WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AND WANTED ME TO GET A DEGREE, SO I DID.

I WENT BACK AND I FINISHED MY DEGREE, AND I GOT IT IN RADIO TELEVISION BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I WAS DOING AND THEY ACTUALLY HAD A REALLY STRONG RADIO TV PROGRAM IN TUCSON.

>>LORENE: REALLY?

>>FRANZ: YEAH, NOT QUITE UP TO PAR WITH KENW AND EASTERN, WHICH IS AN AMAZING PROGRAM, BUT A REALLY, REALLY SOLID PROGRAM THERE AT THAT TIME ANYWAY.

>>LORENE: WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM AT EASTERN, BECAUSE I'VE WORKED WITH THEM FOR SO LONG, IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE GRADUATES WITH A COMMUNICATION BROADCAST DEGREE, THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING.

THEY CAN EDIT, THEY CAN SHOOT, THEY CAN ANCHOR, THEY CAN DO THE WHOLE THING AND IT'S NOT LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T WRITE A SCRIPT, I CAN ONLY READ WHAT YOU WRITE.

THEY'RE REALLY WELL DEVELOPED AND THEY'RE A GIFT WHEREVER THEY LAND BECAUSE THEY CAN PICK UP THE SLACK IN A LOT OF OTHER JOBS.

>>FRANZ: AND THAT'S NOT DISSIMILAR FROM WHAT I GOT OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA IN TUCSON, IT WAS THE SAME KIND OF THING.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

>>FRANZ: YOU KNOW, WE DID EVERYTHING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ON-AIR, WE DIDN'T ALL DO ON-AIR, SOME DID A FEW NOTABLE ONES DID AND IT SHOWED LATER IN THEIR CAREER, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY KNEW.

HOW TO CARRY A TRIPOD JUST AS WELL AS HOW TO SET UP A TRIPOD JUST AS WELL AS HOW TO STAND IN FRONT OF ONE.

THEY KNEW IT ALL.

>>LORENE: I LOVE THAT.

WHAT I PARTICULARLY LIKE IS THAT A LOT OF THE VERY LOVELY WOMEN WHO WENT ON TO BECOME ANCHORS WHO GRADUATED FROM EASTERN, THEY COULD JUST DO IT ALL, SET IT UP, WHITE BALANCE, JUST DO THE WHOLE THING, THEY JUST KNEW.

YOU HAVE HAD A ROLE IN A VERY IMPORTANT NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF YOUR, BESIDES, OF COURSE, KNME, BUT YOU'VE GOT A NATIONAL PROFILE ALSO.

>>FRANZ: I DO, FOR BETTER OR WORSE.

WHEN I BECAME A GENERAL MANAGER, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO AT KNME IN TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION, IN TERMS OF DISTRIBUTING PROGRAMS TO THE PUBLIC TELEVISION SYSTEM, NOT JUST TAKING THEM FROM BUT ALSO DISTRIBUTING TO, RELIES ON SOMETHING CALLED THE PBS INTERCONNECTION.

AT THE TIME IT WAS ALL SATELLITE CONNECTIONS WHERE YOU GET PROGRAMMING FROM A SATELLITE AND YOU'D SEND PROGRAMMING TO A SATELLITE AND THAT INTERCONNECTION COMMITTEE, WHICH IS RUN BY PBS, WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I WANTED TO BE ON THAT COMMITTEE, I WAS JUST REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT COMMITTEE.

AND I TALKED TO MY MENTOR AT THE TIME, TOM AXTELL, WHO'S THE GENERAL MANAGER IN LAS VEGAS, AT LAS VEGAS PBS, AND I ASKED TOM, I SAID, YOU KNOW, HOW DO I GET ON THAT COMMITTEE, HE JUST SMILED, HE SAID, YOU GET ON THAT COMMITTEE BY BEING ON OTHER COMMITTEES.

YOU DON'T GET ON THE INTERCONNECTION COMMITTEE JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO, YOU GOT TO PUT THE WORK IN, SO YOU NEED TO DO THE WORK AND YOU NEED TO BE ON OTHER COMMITTEES AND YOU NEED TO SERVE IN OTHER WAYS.

OH, OK, WHO KNEW.

SO, YOU KNOW.

I KIND OF STUMBLED ONTO A COUPLE OF COMMITTEES, HONESTLY, AS A YOUNG GENERAL MANAGER WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE.

I JOINED THE UNIVERSITY LICENSEE ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS A GROUP OF PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS THAT ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY UNIVERSITIES.

KENW IS ONE, NMSU IS ONE, NEW MEXICO PBS AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THERE ARE LIKE 47 PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS THAT ARE PART OF UNIVERSITIES.

SO IT'S AN ASSOCIATION, WE ALL MEET WEEKLY, AND WE TALK ABOUT ISSUES AND I JUST KIND OF ROSE AND I KIND OF FELL INTO BECOMING CHAIR OF THAT GROUP.

BY DOING THAT, I BECAME CHAIR OF ANOTHER GROUP AND JOINED ANOTHER COMMITTEE, YOU JUST KIND OF WORKED YOUR WAY UP UNTIL I STILL WASN'T ON THE INTERCONNECTION COMMITTEE, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO BE.

THEN I GOT IN SOMETHING CALLED THE AFFINITY GROUP COALITION, THIS IS ALL REALLY DEEP IN THE WEEDS, PUBLIC TELEVISION STUFF, SO IT MIGHT BE BORING TO THE AUDIENCE, BUT IT'S REALLY INDICATIVE OF HOW PUBLIC TELEVISION WORKS BECAUSE THERE ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT INTEREST GROUPS.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT STATIONS OF MANY DIFFERENT KINDS, SOME ARE OWNED BY UNIVERSITIES, SOME ARE OWNED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SOME ARE OWNED BY THE STATE OF IOWA OR THE STATE OF ALABAMA, IDAHO.

SOME ARE INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY LICENSEES AND IT'S A VERY BIZARRE ECOSYSTEM AND ALL OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN AFFINITY GROUPS, LIKE THE UNIVERSITY LICENSEE ASSOCIATION.

THERE'S A SMALL STATION GROUP FOR STATIONS THAT ARE LIKE FIVE MILLION DOLLAR A YEAR OR LESS BUDGETS, THERE'S A MAJOR MARKET GROUP FOR STATIONS THAT ARE HUGE LIKE NEW YORK AND CHICAGO, RIGHT?

THEN THERE'S THE GROUP OF GROUPS, AND THAT'S THE INFINITY GROUP COALITION AND THAT'S KIND OF BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE UNITED NATIONS OF PUBLIC TELEVISION.

>>LORENE: OH, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

>>FRANZ: SO THIS IS WHERE YOU GET ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STATIONS WHO HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS AND NEEDS, SOMETIMES IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER, RIGHT?

WELL, WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE MAJOR MARKET GROUP IS NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE SMALL STATIONS AND WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE SMALL STATIONS ISN'T NECESSARILY GOING TO BE GOOD FOR UNIVERSITY STATIONS.

SO WE ALL WORK TOGETHER IN THAT AFFINITY GROUP COALITION TO FIGURE IT OUT.

WELL, I KIND OF FELL INTO BEING PART OF THAT, AND THEN I, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIR OF THAT GROUP DECIDED TO RETIRE OUT OF THE BLUE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I'M ELECTED CHAIR AND I'M CHAIR OF THIS GROUP.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISSENT AMONG STATIONS AND THINGS KIND OF FELL APART AND THE WHOLE UNITED NATIONS DECIDED TO DISBAND.

LIKE THEY ALL WANTED TO GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS AND THERE I AM, THIS BRAND NEW CHAIR OF THIS GROUP THAT HAS DECIDED UNDER ME TO DISAPPEAR.

LIKE, THIS CAN'T BE GOOD.

>>LORENE: NO, NO.

>>FRANZ: SO I SPENT TWO YEARS PULLING THAT GROUP BACK TOGETHER AND I DID.

I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT, I MANAGED TO PULL THE AFFINITY GROUPS BACK TOGETHER AND GET THEM TO THE TABLE AND START TALKING ABOUT THINGS.

SO THROUGH THAT, I GUESS MY STAR KIND OF ROSE, I WAS SEEN AS SOMEBODY WHO COULD WORK AT THAT LEVEL.

>>LORENE: YEAH, YEAH.

>>FRANZ: AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I WAS ASKED TO JOIN A GROUP CALLED AMERICA'S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS.

THEY ARE THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS GROUP FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION, THEY ARE ON THE HILL, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING INTO SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN'S OFFICES AND TELLING THEM, THIS IS WHY FUNDING FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION IS SO IMPORTANT.

RADIO HAS THEIR OWN PATHWAY, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION.

SO, I WAS ASKED TO JOIN THEIR BOARD, AND THEN OVER TIME, I BECAME CHAIR OF AMERICA'S PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, VERY MUCH IN THE BACKGROUND, VERY MUCH IN THE WEEDS, REALLY KIND OF IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, YOU KNOW, MEETING AND GREETING AND SHAKING HANDS AND MAKING THE CASE FOR WHY PUBLIC TELEVISION IS SO IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE FUNDED.

THAT'S THE GOAL OF THIS GROUP.

SO, UP UNTIL FEBRUARY, I WAS DOING THAT, AND NOW I'M PAST CHAIR, NOW I GET TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY IT.

>>LORENE: EMERITUS.

>>FRANZ: YEAH, EMERITUS.

>>LORENE: BUT ON MAY 1ST, THE ADMINISTRATION-IT'S JUST HARD TO IMAGINE THIS, THEY WANTED TO PREVENT NPR AND PBS FROM RECEIVING CORPORATION OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING FUNDING THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

AND ALSO, THE PRESIDENT CAN'T DETERMINE IT, IT'S A SEPARATE NONPROFIT, IT'S HANDLED, THE EXECUTIVE HAS NO AUTHORITY OVER THAT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT CAUSED A LOT OF STAFF LAYOFFS AND PROGRAMMING CUTS.

THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO ASK YOU HERE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF DANGER IS PBS IN NOW, AND I WOULD LIKE ADVICE.

PBS AUDIENCES ARE SO ACTIVE, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN TO PROTECT PBS.

IT'S SO INTERESTING BECAUSE THE NONPARTISAN SUPPORT THAT PBS HAS, EVEN I READ ONCE THAT EVEN 65% OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SUPPORTERS AGREE THAT PBS COULD BE FUNDED MORE.

SO IT'S NONPARTISAN, THE FACT THAT YOU OFFER PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD NEWS, YOU KNOW, JUST THE FACTS.

OF COURSE, YOU HAVE OPINION PEOPLE AND COMMENTATORS, BUT IT'S CLEARLY THEIR OPINION AND YOU REALLY, IT'S SUCH A GIFT TO THE COMMUNITIES TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH COMING FROM YOU ALL.

THE OTHER THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO IS FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS, LIKE WHEN THERE WERE WILDFIRES IN RUIDOSO, IT WAS THROUGH NPR AND PBS THAT PEOPLE WERE ABLE, FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND EVACUATIONS AND REFUGEE CENTERS FOR PEOPLE.

I MEAN, IT'S SUCH A HUGE PUBLIC SERVICE THAT YOU DO.

>>FRANZ: WE HAVE A VERY LARGE FOOTPRINT IN A LOT OF WAYS.

AND IT ALL GOES BACK TO SOMETHING CALLED THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE MANDATE.

SO WHEN WE WERE CREATED BACK IN THE EARLY 50S, LATE 40S REALLY, BY THE WAY, WE REALLY CAME OUT OF A REALLY IMPORTANT EFFORT BY ONE WOMAN, FRIEDA HENNOCK, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH FRIEDA HENNOCK?

>>LORENE: NO, I'M NOT.

>>FRANZ: FRIEDA HENNOCK WAS THE FIRST FEMALE FCC COMMISSIONER AND FRIEDA CAME IN WITH AN AGENDA, SHE SAW THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY CALLED TELEVISION, RIGHT, JUST STARTING AT THAT TIME, THIS IS THE LATE 40S.

AND SHE SAW THAT ALL THE SPECTRUM, ALL THESE CHANNELS WERE BEING ALLOCATED AND GIVEN TO ALL THESE COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.

AND THAT WAS THE MODEL THAT HAD BEEN WORKING IN RADIO FOR DECADES, SO IT MADE SENSE THAT THE FCC WOULD KIND OF FOLLOW SUIT AND THEY WOULD DO THE SAME THING FOR TELEVISION.

SO THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES WERE APPLYING FOR LICENSES AND GETTING LICENSES TO BROADCAST AND TO, YOU KNOW, PUT COMMERCIALS ON AND THAT WAS THE DYNAMIC.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT DYNAMIC, BUT FRIEDA LOOKED AT THAT AND SAID, THIS IS SUCH A VALUABLE RESOURCE AND THERE'S ONLY SO MANY CHANNELS TO GO AROUND, AND THERE ARE, IT'S A FINITE NUMBER, THAT SOME OF THEM SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL TOOL, SOME OF THESE CHANNELS SHOULD BE SET ASIDE.

AND SHE WENT TO BAT FOR THAT AND SHE ONLY SERVED ONE TERM BECAUSE SHE BECAME VERY UNPOPULAR IN BOTH COMMERCIAL INTERESTS AND WITH THE FCC.

BUT SHE WAS SUCCESSFUL, SHE MANAGED TO GET A HANDFUL OF CHANNELS SET ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

THEY CREATED A SEPARATE LICENSE TYPE SO WHEN YOU GET A LICENSE TO BE A COMMERCIAL STATION, IT'S A COMMERCIAL LICENSE AND IT HAS CERTAIN RULES AND REGS THAT YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY TO RUN A COMMERCIAL LICENSE.

A NON-COMMERCIAL EDUCATIONAL LICENSE WHICH IS WHAT THEY CREATED THROUGH FRIEDA IS DIFFERENT, IT HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF RULES.

ONE OF THOSE RULES IS THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE MANDATE.

ONE OF THE REASONS WE WERE CREATED IS TO BE AVAILABLE OVER THE AIR FOR FREE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OR NOT.

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

>>FRANZ: SO IF THERE ARE 400 PEOPLE IN HARDING COUNTY WHO DON'T HAVE TELEVISION, IT'S OUR JOB TO GET THEM TELEVISION, DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO BUY A CAR OR YOU KNOW BUY POTATO CHIPS BECAUSE OF AN AD WE SELL, THAT'S IMMATERIAL.

IT'S THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE MANDATE, SO THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE WHERE PEOPLE ARE, REGARDLESS, AND WE'RE WHERE PEOPLE ARE, WHERE OTHER STATIONS ARE NOT.

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

>>FRANZ: SO TO REACH THEM WITH EMERGENCY ALERTS, WITH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT CHANGES THEIR LIVES, THIS IS WHY WE'RE THERE.

THIS IS WHY WE EXIST, TO REACH AND TO PROVIDE THIS BASE LEVEL OF CONNECTIVITY AMONG ALL THESE RURAL AND URBAN GROUPS, AND TO BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER UNDER THIS UMBRELLA OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING WHERE OUR SIGNAL REACHES EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO BUY SOMETHING.

>>LORENE: WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH FRANZ JOACHIM ABOUT THE THREAT THAT PUBLIC MEDIA IS UNDER RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO THREATEN TO CUT THE FUNDING, THERE'S WEBSITES, THERE'S COALITIONS THAT FIGHT TO PRESERVE OUR PUBLIC MEDIA.

AND THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE, I GET EMAILS FROM THEM, PEOPLE ARE VERY PASSIONATE BECAUSE, AGAIN, WHAT YOU PROVIDE AND ON SO MANY LEVELS.

FOR ONE THING, PARENTS FEEL THAT YOUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMMING IS NUMBER ONE IN KIDS' LIVES TO GET THEM READY FOR SCHOOL.

IT CLOSES THE GAP BETWEEN PAMPERED, DARLING, RICH KIDS AND MAYBE IMMIGRANT CHILDREN OR POOR, VERY POOR THAT DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND SUDDENLY EVERY KID WHO'S GOT A TV OR RADIO CAN BE LISTENING AND CHARMED BY BIG BIRD.

I MEAN WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT BIG BIRD AND SESAME STREET, IT'S SUCH A GIFT.

>>FRANZ: I WILL BE A LITTLE CONTRARIAN TO JUST KIND OF SET THIS UP BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE A LITTLE BIT IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET PAST THIS.

I AGREE WITH YOU, I DON'T THINK THE ADMINISTRATION, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, HAD A LEGAL RIGHT THROUGH THEIR EXECUTIVE ORDER TO TELL US... >>LORENE: TO TAKE MONEY THAT WAS ALREADY... >>FRANZ: WELL THE MONEY HAD TRANSFERRED FROM CONGRESS TO A PRIVATE CORPORATION CALLED THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

THEY'RE A PRIVATE CORPORATION, THEY WERE CREATED BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS IN THE 1967 PUBLIC BROADCASTING ACT BUT THEY ARE A PRIVATE CORPORATION AS IS PBS AS IS NPR.

THESE ARE PRIVATE COMPANIES, THEY ARE NOT GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THEY'RE NOT QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL, THEY ARE PRIVATE.

SO CONGRESS ALLOCATED THIS MONEY AS THE LAW SAYS THEY CAN DO, CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING HAS IT, AND THEY WERE CREATED IN LARGE PART FOR THAT VERY REASON, TO TAKE THIS MONEY AND PROVIDE A FIREWALL AGAINST ADMINISTRATIONS AND CONGRESS AND THE JUDICIAL BRANCH, ANYBODY WHO MIGHT COME IN AND SAY, WAIT, WE DON'T LIKE HOW YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR MONEY.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU ALLOCATED THAT MONEY.

ONCE YOU ALLOCATED IT, YOU TOOK YOUR HANDS OFF IT.

IT IS NOW UP TO THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND LOCAL STATIONS.

THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART, THE LOCAL STATIONS, TO DECIDE HOW THAT MONEY GETS SPENT AND IF THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES DON'T LIKE IT, WE'LL KNOW BECAUSE THEY'LL STOP DONATING TO US AND THEY'LL START GOING TO CONGRESS AND SAY, STOP GIVING THEM MONEY.

THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED, IT IS NOT THE PEOPLE RISING UP AND SAYING, DON'T SEND MONEY, IT IS ONE SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE IN AN ADMINISTRATION WHO HAVE DECIDED THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT WE'RE SAYING, AND THEY WANT THAT MONEY PULLED BACK, MONEY THAT THEY'VE ALREADY GIVEN US AND FUTURE FUNDS.

>>LORENE: WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PUBLIC MEDIA LANDSCAPE IN NEW MEXICO IN TERMS OF HOW MANY TV STATIONS AND HOW MANY RADIO STATIONS?

>>FRANZ: SURE, SO THERE ARE THREE PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS AND THEY'RE ALL PBS STATIONS.

IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT NOT ALL PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS ARE PBS STATIONS, ALMOST ALL, BUT THERE ARE 11 OR 15 THAT AREN'T.

SO ALL OF US ARE PBS STATIONS AND WE'RE ALL PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS, THERE ARE 12 PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS.

THREE OF THOSE PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME UNIVERSITIES THAT THE TELEVISION STATIONS ARE AND THEN THE OTHERS, THE OTHER NINE ARE, WELL, I THINK THERE'S ONE AT THE COLLEGE OF SANTA FE, THERE'S ONE AT SAN JUAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TRIBALLY LICENSED, THE TRIBE HOLDS THE LICENSE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY LICENSED WHERE SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY JUST STARTED A NONPROFIT AND GOT A LICENSE TO BROADCAST RADIO.

SO 12 PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS, THREE PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS, AND ALL OF THEM GET WHAT IS CALLED A COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANT FROM THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND THAT IS HOW THEY TAKE THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS AND GET THEM TO LOCAL STATIONS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE MONEY THAT CONGRESS ALLOCATES DOESN'T GO TO PBS AND DOESN'T GO TO NPR.

IT GOES TO LOCAL STATIONS AND THEN WE TAKE THAT MONEY AND WE DECIDE, DO WE WANT TO BUY SOME PBS PROGRAMMING OR DO WE WANT TO BUY SOME PUBLIC RADIO PROGRAMMING AND WE SPEND OUR MONEY THERE.

I WILL TELL YOU THIS, I HAD TO FIGURE THIS OUT THE OTHER DAY.

ONLY 42% OF OUR AIRTIME IS PBS PROGRAMMING, ONLY 42%.

THE REST OF IT COMES FROM OTHER SOURCES, OTHER PLACES THAT WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

SOME OF IT'S INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS HERE IN NEW MEXICO, SOME OF IT IS COMING FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND OTHER STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY, ONLY 42% OF IT IS COMING FROM PBS.

SO REALLY, A LOT OF LOCAL STATIONS ARE MAKING THESE LOCAL DECISIONS AND DECIDING WHAT TO PUT ON THEIR AIR FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, THAT'S OUR JOB.

>>LORENE: YEAH AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT HOW WELL-TRAINED PUBLIC MEDIA AUDIENCES ARE IS THAT THEY ARE VERY ACTIVE.

>>FRANZ: VERY.

>>LORENE: THAT THEY WILL CALL THE STATION AND, YOU KNOW, FOR LIKE THEY LOVE KEN BURNS OR SOMETHING, BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THEY FIND OBJECTIONABLE, THEY'RE NOT SHY ABOUT CALLING THE LOCAL STATION AND LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T.

>>FRANZ: AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAVE A PORTAL ON OUR WEBSITE FOR PEOPLE TO EMAIL US WITH THEIR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, PRAISE IF YOU'VE GOT IT, WE LOVE THAT TOO, BUT OFTENTIMES IT IS QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY PASSPORT, HOW DO I GET THIS TO WORK, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR SCHEDULE, WHY ISN'T THIS SHOW ON WHEN YOU SAY IT'S GOING TO BE, ANY NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AND PEOPLE WHO WILL WRITE IN TO SAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE GETTING FEDERAL FUNDING.

WE ANSWER EVERY ONE OF THEM, EVERY EMAIL THAT COMES INTO THAT PORTAL GETS AN ANSWER.

>>LORENE: BUT THE TRUTH IS WITHOUT THE FEDERAL FUNDING, I'VE HEARD PERHAPS THE SYSTEM WOULD COLLAPSE, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT FOUNDATION, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.

>>FRANZ: THIS IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THE FEDERAL FUNDING.

WE KNOW WE GET DONATIONS FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU, WE KNOW THAT THE STATE SUPPORTS US, WE HAVE CORPORATE SUPPORT, BUT IT'S THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE SYSTEM AND HOLDING ALL OF US TOGETHER AND CONNECTING US.

THAT INTERCONNECTION I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS FUNDED BY FEDERAL DOLLARS, WITHOUT THAT, WE'RE ALL INDIVIDUAL STATIONS KIND OF FLOUNDERING IN THE DARK BY OURSELVES, WITH THAT CONNECTION, WE TALK TO EACH OTHER, WE COMMUNICATE, WE SHARE, WE BRING OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY INTO NEW MEXICO, AND WE SEND NEW MEXICO TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

>>LORENE: SO ONE OF THE STATISTICS I LOVE IS THAT FOR THE COST OF ONE CUP OF COFFEE PER PERSON PER YEAR.

>>FRANZ: THAT'S A CHEAP CUP OF COFFEE, TOO.

>>LORENE: THAT'S ABOUT $1.60, AMERICAN TAXPAYERS HAVE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED PUBLIC TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION.

SO THAT'S A LOT OF BANG FOR THE BUCK.

>>FRANZ: IT IS A LOT OF BANG FOR THE BUCK.

$1.60 PER PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT'S A YEAR, $1.60 A YEAR AND WHAT ARE THEY GETTING FOR THAT?

I MEAN, I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO THE PROGRAMMING BECAUSE YOUR AUDIENCE WATCHES, YOU KNOW WHAT'S ON THE AIR, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND THAT, THERE'S ALL OF THE RESEARCH.

EVERY PUBLIC TELEVISION KIDS PROGRAM, EVERY ONE OF THE PBS KIDS PROGRAMS HAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RESEARCH BEHIND IT, MAKING SURE THAT WHAT IS SAID AND WHAT IS SHOWN IS GOOD FOR KIDS AND NOT BAD FOR KIDS.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY ROBUST, AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH, AND THAT RESEARCH IS THEN USED IN OTHER AREAS.

WE HAVE A FORMER PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, DR. LYNETTE COFER, PROFESSOR EMERITUS IN PSYCHOLOGY, AND SHE DID SOME GROUNDBREAKING FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF MEDIA ON CHILDREN.

SHE STARTED IT AT CHAPEL HILL, SHE CAME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, SHE WORKED IN PERSON HAND IN HAND WITH MR. ROGERS.

SHE STARTED HER DEGREE PROGRAM BECAUSE SHE HAD TWO YOUNG CHILDREN WHO LOVED MR. ROGERS WHEN HE FIRST STARTED AND SHE SAW THE IMPACT OF HIS PROGRAMMING ON THOSE KIDS VERSUS OTHER PROGRAMMING.

SHE STARTED RESEARCHING IT, SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL LEGISLATION THAT HAS BEEN PASSED IN THIS COUNTRY BACK IN THE 70S REGARDING, YOU KNOW, HOW TELEVISION IMPACTS CHILDREN AND WHAT MEDIA SHOULD DO AND SHOULDN'T DO WITH CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING CAME OUT OF LYNETTE'S RESEARCH AND WOMEN LIKE LYNETTE WHO HAD KIDS WHO WERE WATCHING THE IMPACT OF MEDIA AND DECIDED TO GET THEIR DEGREES AND RESEARCH THAT IMPACT ON CHILDREN.

THAT CAME OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO.

>>LORENE: OH, THAT'S WONDERFUL.

THE OTHER THING I LIKE IS THAT THERE'S SOMETHING FOR ADULTS, TOO.

>>FRANZ: THERE'S A LOT.

>>LORENE: I REMEMBER WATCHING EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU FEATURE A LETTER OR A NUMBER AND DO SONGS AND DANCES ABOUT IT.

YOU DID THE LETTER U AND THEY DID THE ROCK SONG, "YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME" AND IT WAS THE LETTER U CLIMBING ALL OVER SOMEBODY AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, SO THE GROWN-UPS, THERE'S SOMETHING, TOO AND OFTEN THEY WATCH TOGETHER AND SO WHEN THE KID SEES MOM OR DAD LAUGHING ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT HELPS THEM BOND TOGETHER, IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL GIFT.

I'M SO GRATEFUL TO YOU.

BUT I WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HOW, IN THE MINUTES THAT REMAIN, HOW CAN YOUR DEDICATED VIEWERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO REALIZE THE VALUE OF WHAT YOU OFFER AT THE COST OF $1.60 PER PERSON PER YEAR, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

NOW THERE'S THIS THREAT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.

>>FRANZ: THERE ARE MULTIPLE THREATS.

WELL, THERE'S THE EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT NPR AND PBS HAVE NOW FILED LAWSUITS AGAINST, SO THERE'S THE EXECUTIVE ORDER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

THERE'S WHAT'S CALLED A RESCISSIONS PACKAGE, WHICH IS THE ADMINISTRATION SENT A MEMO TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SAYING, WE WANT TO TAKE BACK MONEY THAT YOU'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED, THAT WE ALREADY SIGNED.

AND DONALD TRUMP DID SIGN THAT BUDGET SAYING PBS AND NPR GET MONEY.

HE SIGNED IT, AND NOW THEY WANT TO TAKE THAT MONEY BACK, MONEY FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 STARTING NEXT OCTOBER AND FISCAL YEAR 27 A YEAR AFTER THAT.

THEY WANT TO TAKE THAT MONEY BACK AND THAT'S THE RESCISSIONS PACKAGE.

THE HOUSE LAST WEEK PASSED THAT RESCISSIONS PACKAGE, IT IS NOW WITH THE SENATE.

SO WHAT WE REALLY NEED ARE VIEWERS, THOSE SUPPORTERS OUT THERE WHO REALLY BELIEVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, THOSE SUPPORTERS WHO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THEIR HARD-EARNED DOLLARS AND DONATE TO US TO HELP US STAY ON THE AIR.

AND BY THE WAY, ALMOST EVERY PUBLIC TELEVISION, WELL EVERY PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION IN THE COUNTRY IS GETTING MORE MONEY FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU THAN THEY'RE GETTING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S BE CLEAR, IT IS BOTH.

IT IS THAT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT MAKES ALL THIS WORK.

BUT REACH OUT TO CONGRESS.

IN THIS CASE, REACH OUT TO SENATORS AND TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT PUBLIC TELEVISION IS TO YOU.

THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED PROTECTMYPUBLICMEDIA.ORG , ALL ONE WORD, PROTECTMYPUBLICMEDIA.ORG .

IF YOU SIGN UP WITH THEM, IT IS NOT A FUNDRAISING SOLICITATION, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY, WE'RE GUIDING YOU ON HOW TO FASTEST AND EASIEST REACH YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND HERE'S THE MESSAGE THAT YOU NEED TO SEND THEM.

THEY'RE VERY TARGETED, IF THERE'S A COMMITTEE HEARING ON THIS ISSUE, THEY WILL REACH OUT AND SAY, HERE ARE THE SENATORS ON THIS COMMITTEE, REACH OUT, CALL THEM, EMAIL THEM.

AND THEY'RE VERY CLEAR, DON'T WRITE THEM, DON'T HAND WRITE A LETTER.

IT TURNS OUT THAT HANDWRITTEN LETTERS NOW TAKE SIX MONTHS TO GET TO CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES, HANDWRITTEN LETTERS ARE NOT THE WAY TO DO IT ANYMORE.

I KNOW THAT WAS THE WAY YOU DID IT, THAT WAS THE GOLD STANDARD BACK IN THE DAY.

>>LORENE: WRITE YOUR SENATOR.

>>FRANZ: IT IS NO LONGER THE CASE, IT IS NOW EMAIL, PHONE CALLS, EVEN TEXTS, BUT PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS ARE ACTUALLY THE BEST WAY TO GET THAT MESSAGE.

REACH OUT TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, REACH OUT TO YOUR SENATOR, AND TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.

EVEN THOSE IN NEW MEXICO WHO ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF PUBLIC MEDIA, SENATOR LUJÁN, SENATOR HEINRICH, 100% BEHIND US, THEY STILL NEED TO KNOW THAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS FIND VALUE IN THIS SO THEY CAN GO INTO COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND SAY, I GOT THOUSANDS OF CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE OUTRAGED THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

AND IS THAT WEBSITE PROTECTMYPUBLICMEDIA.ORG ?

>>FRANZ: PROTECTMYPUBLICMEDIA.ORG .

YOU SIGN UP.

>>LORENE: IT'S VERY CLEAR.

>>FRANZ: BASICALLY, THEY WILL START TEXTING YOU OR EMAILING YOU.

HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO RIGHT NOW AND HERE'S THE PHONE NUMBERS AND HERE'S THE EMAIL ADDRESS.

>>LORENE: RIGHT.

IT'S VERY CLEAR.

>>FRANZ: THEY'LL EVEN WRITE IT AND SAY, HERE, YOU CAN JUST COPY AND PASTE THIS IF YOU WANT OR WRITE IT YOURSELF, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT.

THEY WILL TELL YOU AND GUIDE YOU INTO THE BEST WAY AND THE FASTEST WAY TO REACH YOUR REPRESENTATIVE WITH THIS MESSAGE AND IT'S VERY POWERFUL.

1.6 MILLION EMAILS WENT OUT THE LAST TIME WE ASKED, 1.6 MILLION EMAILS.

THERE ARE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES THAT REPORTED GETTING 20,000 EMAILS SUPPORTING PUBLIC MEDIA.

>>LORENE: OH, GOOD, OH, WONDERFUL.

>>FRANZ: YEAH, IT WORKS, IT WORKS, IT'S POWERFUL.

>>LORENE: WELL, OUR GUEST TODAY IS FRANZ JOACHIM.

I'M SO GRATEFUL, YOU'RE THE GENERAL MANAGER, CEO OF KNME, NEW MEXICO PBS, BUT YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD TO PROTECT OUR PUBLIC MEDIA, AND I APPRECIATE THE CALL OUT.

WE WILL, YOU KNOW, AS GOOD PUBLIC MEDIA CONSUMERS, WE WILL WRITE LETTERS AND CALL AND BE SURE THAT WE CAN PROTECT PUBLIC MEDIA.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE WITH US TODAY.

>>FRANZ: THANK YOU SO MUCH, LORENE, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>>LORENE: IT IS WONDERFUL, THANK YOU.

AND I'M LORENE MILLS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

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