By Dan Carden, Times of Northwest Indiana
dan.carden@nwi.com
INDIANAPOLIS | Lakeshore Public Television and Radio will not receive half of its state support this year due to Gov. Mitch Daniels' budget cuts.
The Merrillville-based broadcaster will lose about $142,500 it was slated to receive from the state. Overall, public broadcasting in Indiana will lose $1.6 million.
In a letter to public broadcasters, State Budget Director Chris Ruhl said the cut was necessary for the state "to maintain solvency and avoid massive tax increases on Hoosier families and businesses." A December revenue forecast estimates Indiana will spend $1.8 billion more than it takes in through June 2011 if no reductions are made.
Lakeshore President and CEO Tom Carroll said the station expected some state revenue loss and only budgeted 75 percent of the state money it was appropriated. State funds account for about 7 percent of Lakeshore's $4 million annual budget.
"The state money is a very small part of that, but it has always been a really reliable part of that," Carroll said. "Well, for the last two years now we've not been able to count on those dollars, so they've become unreliable."
In 2009, the station received 35 percent less money from the state than the year before, which contributed to station budget cuts and the layoff of six employees, Carroll said.
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Vi Simpson, D-Elletsville, said she wants the governor to explain why he's cutting what he is cutting.
"There ought to be some criteria for how these decisions are made that go beyond whether the governor likes the program or not," Simpson said.
State law empowers the governor to unilaterally cut spending to keep the budget in balance.
"We're just keeping this thing in the black any way we can and we're using flexibility, which thank goodness the Legislature, in its good judgment, made available," Daniels said.
Carroll is optimistic Lakeshore's listeners and viewers will continue to support the station.
"We're going to go out and find a way to make up for that loss," Carroll said. "We have tremendous people here in Northwest Indiana who will help support us."