Radio K funding intact, Pawlenty veto still possible

Funding for University of Minnesota student-run Radio K and several other independent public radio stations is still in the budget bills being voted on tonight in the legislature. This weekend a lobbyist for the stations (known as the AMPERS network) said Governor Tim Pawlenty was insisting the funding be dropped from the spending bills. Lawmakers resisted the Governor's pressure and the State Government Finance bill moved out of committee this morning with $500,000 in equipment grants and $350,000 in community service grants for the 13 AMPERS stations.

The funding is still not a slam-dunk. The legislature drew up the final spending bill without Governor Pawlenty's complete agreement and the funding could be subject to a line item veto.

AMPERS is comprised of nearly all of the non-commercial radio stations that are not owned by Minnesota Public Radio. Those stations are KAXE-FM (Grand Rapids), KBEM-FM (Twin Cities), KFAI-FM (Twin Cities), KMOJ-FM (Twin Cities), KMSU-FM and KMSK-FM (Mankato/Austin), KQAL-FM (Winona), KSRQ-FM (Thief River Falls), KUMD-FM (Duluth), KUMM-FM (Morris), KUOM-AM & FM (Radio K) (Twin Cities), KVSC-FM (St. Cloud), and WTIP-FM (Grand Marais)