Ky. congressman receives Champion of Public Broadcasting Award

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky./5th)

A Kentucky congressman has received an award for his support of public broadcasting.

The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) today presented U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) with the Champion of Public Broadcasting Award during the 2012 APTS Public Media Summit in Washington, D.C.

“I am honored to accept this kind award from the Association of Public Television Stations,” Rogers said. “I applaud APTS for their efforts to bring quality programming and educational content into the homes of all Americans.”

The award is given to members of Congress and other individuals who safeguard the ability of local public television stations to provide educational, informational, cultural and other essential public services to their communities.

“We’re so proud to see this Champion of Public Broadcasting Award be presented to our great Kentucky Congressman, Hal Rogers,” said KET executive director and CEO Shae Hopkins. “Throughout his distinguished career, Congressman Rogers has remained committed to improving the lives of the people he serves in eastern and southern Kentucky, and indeed the entire Commonwealth. A champion of education, Congressman Rogers has strongly supported the mission of KET and public broadcasting to provide access to quality educational programs and instructional resources. We are grateful for his longtime support and friendship.”

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Serving Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981, Rogers is currently in his 16th term representing southern and eastern Kentucky. Throughout Rogers’ 29-year tenure on the Appropriations Committee, he has served on eight different subcommittees, including leadership roles as Chairman or Ranking Member of three subcommittees.

“Congressman Rogers is a longtime supporter and friend of public television, especially KET, his local station,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS. “As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Rogers has safeguarded federal funding for public broadcasting, even while leading the necessary effort to restrain federal spending and reduce the national debt. His support is directly tied to the education mission of public television, which stations like KET perform so well, and we are very grateful to the Congressman for standing with us in these most challenging times.”

Butler concluded: “Congressman Rogers has a long history of serving the special needs of rural America and the Appalachian region, and those needs include the education, job training, informational and other services that public television provides in even the most hard-to-reach areas of our country. KET is the only statewide broadcast medium in Kentucky. We at APTS are grateful to our colleagues at KET for demonstrating the full potential of public television to serve the American people, and we are especially honored to call such a distinguished public servant as Congressman Rogers a champion of public broadcasting.”

Information for this story was provided by KET.