MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Representatives Holland, Eaton, Scott (80th), Ryals

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE MISSISSIPPI AUTHORITY FOR EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY.

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, MAET, celebrates its 30th Anniversary of broadcasting on February 1, 2000; and

WHEREAS, MAET, which serves all 82 counties of Mississippi with top quality educational and cultural programming, has grown from one television station to a network comprised of eight public television stations and a nine station public radio network; and

WHEREAS, MAET is Mississippi's most powerful statewide educational vehicle, reaching almost 200,000 television households each week with a half million viewers tuning in to Mississippi ETV during the day and over 100,000 people listening to PRM each week; and

WHEREAS, ETV serves Mississippi classrooms with teaching and learning resources through varied technology ranging from broadcast to satellite to an interactive video network; and

WHEREAS, A pioneer in interactive instructional television, ETV now has over a hundred sites on its interactive video network with 4,500 students enrolled in interactive courses; and

WHEREAS, MAET serves special segments of the Mississippi audience through Radio Reading Service, which broadcasts readings from newspapers, books and magazines 24 hours a day to special receivers provided to blind and print handicapped listeners, and the Caption Center, which provides television captions for hearing impaired Mississippians on all programs originating at ETV; and

WHEREAS, PRM keeps Mississippians informed with coverage of local events, state and world news and weather information and announcements of various events within the state; and

WHEREAS, ETV participates in the national Ready to Learn program, a service designed to help parents, teachers and other care givers use public television to help children love learning, thus advancing the goal that all children start school "ready to learn"; and

WHEREAS, ETV has won more than 400 awards for instructional and general audience productions, including the prestigious Peabody Award and a 1999 national Emmy for Ticktock Minutes, the first national Emmy ever won in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize and commend excellence especially in the area of educational and instructional broadcasting:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television on its celebration of its 30th Anniversary.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television and to members of the Capitol Press Corps.