Letter to Dr. Guy Bailey, President of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - Congressman Gonzalez Plans to Start Dialogue With UTRGV Regarding Future of Public Radio And TV In South Texas
Letter
Dear Dr. Bailey,
For years, Rio Grande Valley residents have had limited access to our National Public Radio (NPR), and Public Broadcasting System (PBS) stations. I am committed to bringing this problem to the attention of federal, state, and local officials, and build a coalition of educators, broadcasters, elected officials, philanthropists, and concerned citizens from throughout the state and country to work with federal regulators to get any required approvals to restore access in our region. Together, I believe we can turn this challenge into an opportunity.
My staff in Washington, D.C., recently met with representatives from NPR, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Through these initial discussions, we learned that there are a number of resources available that may help us overcome existing obstacles. Much time and planning is needed to take on this initiative and it is important that we work together to encourage the efficient use of resources and to put all the best people to work on solutions.
I believe partnering with the University of Texas System is the best approach and that the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley would be an ideal home for the new NPR and PBS station to broadcast to more than 1.5 million listeners and viewers in South Texas. Students and the entire Rio Grande Valley community would benefit from these efforts as the radio and TV station could be used as both a teaching tool and a learning lab for aspiring journalists, meteorologists, producers, VJs, DJs, and musicians. As a strong supporter of public broadcasting, I kindly urge you to consider the University's potential role in preserving such a valuable resource for our community.
With this in mind, I would like to meet with you, and could do so in the Rio Grande Valley or Washington, D.C. Please contact Executive Assistant, Paulina Carrillo, at Paulina.Carrillo@mail.house.gov, or at (202) 225-2531 to begin organizing this meeting.
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