Support Your Local PBS Station on a License Plate?

[dhett]

I recently posted about this on the Phoenix TV board, but I was wondering if any other PBS station has done this as a way to generate revenue.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division recently unveiled a "Friend of 8" license plate to support the Phoenix PBS station, KAET: http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/vehicle/mvdplate.asp#PBS8. Larger image: http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/vehicle/ImgLarge.asp?txtImage=PBS8Lrg.jpg

The state collects a $25 annual fee for the plate, $8 of which goes to the state, and $17 to KAET. The rates are typical of specialty license plates that Arizona offers.

It's too early to tell how much revenue this will generate for the station, but has any other PBS station done this with their state, and if so, has it produced for them any significant revenue?

 

[gregg75]

Wouldn't work in Georgia. They take all that extra license plate money for wildflowers,
spaying and neutering, etc. and put it in the general fund and use it for everything
but what it was intended to be used for.

They also do the same thing with a $2 old tire fee (meant to be used for tire cleanup).
Just makes you wonder who voted all these crooks into office. Tax and spend it for
anything except what was promised.

 

[Silkie]

Not in this lifetime.

 

[nathannah]

Not in Wisconsin, though the UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee plates have funds that are sure to go to Wisconsin Public Radio/Television and WUWM in an indirect manner. In Wisconsin though, they don't usually approve any license plates without a clear place for it to go to; the Packers plate goes right into the till to pay off Lambeau Field, the Brewers plate supports Miller Park, their Harley Davidson plate supports DOT motorcycle safety and training programs, and other plates such as the Ducks Unlimited and Donate Life (for organ donation) gets them funding and you a nice tax deduction. They aren't like Florida, which probably has a license plate for everything, literally.

 

[dave73]

Unless it's part of a statewide PBS network, something like this won't work in Indiana, because there are 8 PBS stations in Indiana, & none of them are part of a statewide network. Also with Indiana, plates are no longer available at the license bureau (they're now mailed, like the registration, stickers, & even the drivers license ).

 

[dhett]

They aren't like Florida, which probably has a license plate for everything, literally.

OTOH, Arizona has more in common with Florida than being God's other waiting room. Did you click on the first link? Aside from the standard issue and disability plates, Arizona offers 50 different specialty plates, 38 of which use a design that is not based on the standard issue plate.

Unless it's part of a statewide PBS network, something like this won't work in Indiana, because there are 8 PBS stations in Indiana, & none of them are part of a statewide network. Also with Indiana, plates are no longer available at the license bureau (they're now mailed, like the registration, stickers, & even the drivers license ).

Technically, Arizona doesn't have a statewide PBS network either, but since there are only two PBS members in the state, I guess it's a de facto statewide network. KAET is seen in the Phoenix metro area, which contains 60% of the state's population, and has its signal on translators throughout northern and western Arizona, which covers roughly an additional 20%. The remaining 20% of the state is served by KUAT Tucson...I'm surprised that they haven't requested a specialty plate. Or maybe they have, but it hasn't been released yet.

I believe Arizona also sends out plates by mail, as you can order them online.

 

[Markxxx]

What does a plain old AZ license plat cost?

 

[dhett]

The standard plate costs the same $8 that goes to the state with the specialty plates. The specialty plate just adds $17, which goes to the designated cause. Arizona makes its money in a vehicle license tax, which is levied on all registrations.

 

[w00t]

I could see UNC-TV doing this. Actually, I'm surprised it hasn't yet. It's not that hard to get these plates approved in North Carolina.

 

[gregg75]

The Georgia legislature is really quite comical. A few years ago there was a big
uproar about having the University Of Florida on a Georgia plate. Instead of debating
the issues of the day, this became topic #1 at the capital.

Come to find out Florida grads in Georgia are #2 behind #1 University Of Georgia. So
the plate was eventually approved.

 

[azumanga]

The Georgia legislature is really quite comical. A few years ago there was a big
uproar about having the University Of Florida on a Georgia plate. Instead of debating
the issues of the day, this became topic #1 at the capital.

Come to find out Florida grads in Georgia are #2 behind #1 University Of Georgia. So
the plate was eventually approved.

I think I recall another state (Virginia?) also having issued Florida Gator plates.

 

[BRNout]

Unless it's part of a statewide PBS network, something like this won't work in Indiana, because there are 8 PBS stations in Indiana, & none of them are part of a statewide network. Also with Indiana, plates are no longer available at the license bureau (they're now mailed, like the registration, stickers, & even the drivers license ).

Indiana's most recent plates look like something that I could have whipped up in metal shop when I was 13. I hate those flat (non-embossed) plates. And I can't imagine that cops like them because glare from an angle can render them illegible. Oh well.....

 

[Mark Giardina]

Not going to happen in New York State.

Lawmakers are still trying to shove down our throats retro 1970 license blue and gold plates in order to make money because of the huge deficit NYS faces.

Plus there is controversy over a license plate that indicates whether someone is pro-life. That has the pro-choice crowd upset as hell.

 

[dhett]

Lawmakers are still trying to shove down our throats retro 1970 license blue and gold plates in order to make money because of the huge deficit NYS faces.

I must be the only person in the world who likes the old blue & gold plates. I think I still have my original NY plates from my first car. I'd never pay extra for one, though.

I suppose NY wouldn't issue PBS plates because they'd want to keep the money for themselves, and not give it to the stations.

 

[fybush]

I suppose NY wouldn't issue PBS plates because they'd want to keep the money for themselves, and not give it to the stations.

Huh? This makes no sense. The fee for a specialty plate is shared between the state and the issuing organization. There's generally a minimum number of commitments you need to get a plate issued, but once that minimum is met, NY issues plenty of specialty plates for all sorts of causes and groups, both for-profit and non-.

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/cplates.htm

No PBS stations listed there that I can see, but I expect that's just because none have applied.

As for the earlier assertion that the state is "cramming the new plates down our throats," the local county clerks appear to have beat that one back. New registrations get the blue-and-gold, but nobody with the older white-and-blue plates has to give them up, either.

 

[dhett]

I suppose NY wouldn't issue PBS plates because they'd want to keep the money for themselves, and not give it to the stations.

Huh? This makes no sense.

Sorry - forgot my <sarcasm> tags. Just taking a swipe at a money-hungry NYS legislature in line with Mark Giardina's post.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I won't be donating to PBS in any form, but if selling license plates would get them to cut back on the begathons I'd be for it.  :

 

[Darth_vader]

"Wouldn't work in Georgia. They take all that extra license plate money for wildflowers, spaying and neutering, etc. and put it in the general fund and use it for everything but what it was intended to be used for."

That's why it probably wouldn't fly in Washington, either. Oregon, probably, but not here. But then again, after the disaster that was Measure 1170 a couple years back (the arbitrary "grocery tax" we succefully repealled) who knows?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I won't be donating to PBS in any form, but if selling license plates would get them to cut back on the begathons I'd be for it. :

You are already donating to PBS through the federal taxes you pay. The ghost of LBJ's "Great Society" is still evident.

As for the license plates, if people are really that interested in wasting their money, then just have the call letters of their local PBS station on their plates. Example: WPBS...WPBS1...WPBS 2. Here in New York one can have up to eight letters on a license plate so knock yourselves out! :

 

[dhett]

I won't be donating to PBS in any form, but if selling license plates would get them to cut back on the begathons I'd be for it. :

You are already donating to PBS through the federal taxes you pay. The ghost of LBJ's "Great Society" is still evident.

As for the license plates, if people are really that interested in wasting their money, then just have the call letters of their local PBS station on their plates. Example: WPBS...WPBS1...WPBS 2. Here in New York one can have up to eight letters on a license plate so knock yourselves out! :

Except in that case, the vanity plate surcharge would go to the state, not to the station. I'd like to see as many private sources of revenue for PBS stations as possible, so we can remove that vestige of the Not-So-Great Society.

And you wouldn't get too many WPBS plates anyway, as the calls for the NYC PBS station is WNET. WPBS is in Watertown NY, population 27,023. (sa-LUTE!)