Hi everyone, Mike and Joni at NPR are hoping more California stations will sign on to the list of public media supporters urging swift enactment of this legislation. To do that, please email Joni Lupovitz *asap*: [email protected] Here’s background if you need additional information: For the past few months, NPR and public radio stations across the country have been urging Congress to provide SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) assistance for university-licensed public media stations. In response to our efforts, an influential group of Senators recently introduced legislation to reauthorize the PPP and to provide financial relief for previously ineligible public broadcasters – including public and private university licensees. The HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act< https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/6/6/660e49ed-3ced-482f-9de7-938a17b48ae4/625B9431CE99F0693E2F94E3CFCAFAC9.hen20a83.pdf>, S.4818< https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4818/committees?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22s.4818%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=1>, introduced by Senators Schumer, Cantwell, Cardin, Coons, Shaheen, and about 30 other Democratic Senators, would reauthorize the PPP through March 2021. This bill includes new language to expand PPP eligibility for public and private college/university licensees and certain other previously ineligible public broadcasters to support the continued provision of local news, content, or emergency information. The bill could also benefit stations that were previously eligible but didn’t seek a PPP loan, and would permit a second loan for stations that meet a significant revenue loss test. We need your help to build support for PPP relief for university licensees and other public broadcasters! NPR’s Policy & Representation Team is collecting a list of local public media stations willing to publicly support this PPP bill. A strong show of public radio and TV station support across the country will help build momentum for swift passage of this bill, either as standalone legislation or part of a larger COVID relief or appropriations package. Please email Joni Lupovitz ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) with your station name and location this week. Today! You only need to provide the station name in support (not the name of the university or other license holder). The goal is to share a long list of station names with Congress next week, along with the following joint supporting statement: We join together in strong support of the HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act, S.4818, which would reauthorize the SBA Paycheck Protection Program and expand eligibility for additional local media outlets – including local public radio and television stations. This legislation would provide much-needed assistance for local public media, so we can continue to provide live, local and trusted news, public health and safety information, educational content for remote learning, and community service programming across broadcast and digital platforms. Local public radio and television stations are experiencing perilous operational and financial hardship due to the COVID crisis, including a steep decline in business underwriting/sponsorship and other revenue sources. PPP assistance is a lifeline, but has been unavailable for the majority of local public broadcasters, in many cases because a college or university holds the broadcast license. The HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act would remove PPP barriers for nonprofit, noncommercial public broadcasters, including public and private university licensees, and provide parity with PPP provisions for local commercial media. We appreciate the support of the many Senate co-sponsors in introducing this critical legislation, and respectfully urge swift passage, so our stations can keep our local reporters and other essential employees on the job – and keep our communities connected with local news and public service programming through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. *Frank Lanzone, Jr. * President ~ General Manager KCBX Inc. 4100 Vachell Lane San Luis Obispo CA 93401 805-549-8855