37-63-13 - Authority's general powers as to educational television.
§ 37-63-13. Authority's general powers as to educational television.
The Authority for Educational Television is empowered and is hereby designated as the proper and official state agency to:
(1) Control and supervise the use of television broadcast and ITFS channels and radio frequencies reserved by the Federal Communications Commission for noncommercial, educational purposes in Mississippi. It is further empowered to authorize the sale or lease of any excess capacity of such ITFS channels for commercial use to provide the funds necessary to implement the purposes of Section 37-63-9(2). No pornographic material or political advertisements shall be allowed on any ITFS channel or radio frequency;
(2) Initiate or receive for review and approval all applications for educational television and educational radio licenses submitted to the Federal Communications Commission for or on behalf of any public school system, junior college, institution of higher learning, private educational institution, or nonprofit community or municipal educational organization;
(3) Initiate or receive for review and approval all applications for federal, state or private funds which involve the construction of educational television or radio facilities or acquisition of educational television or radio equipment;
(4) Prescribe official state-approved standards for appropriate educational television equipment which may be purchased by any public school, junior college, institution of higher learning, private educational institution, or nonprofit community or municipal educational organization in order to insure a standard of quality and technical compatibility throughout the state;
(5) Provide consultative services in all aspects of educational television and radio to any agency, public or private, within the state;
(6) Serve as a clearinghouse for information on television and radio for educational purposes;
(7) Perform all other things necessary to insure the orderly and coordinated development of educational television and radio in Mississippi; and
(8) Determine and approve all policies governing the programming, administration, control and supervision of Mississippi Educational Television and educational radio. All programs prepared for use in the elementary and secondary schools of this state must be prepared in conjunction with the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Education prior to broadcast on Mississippi Educational Television.
Sources: Codes, 1942, § 8946-107; Laws, 1969, Ex Sess, ch. 31, § 7; Laws, 1990, 1st Ex Sess, ch. 72, § 2; Laws, 2003, ch. 395, § 2, eff from and after July 1, 2003.