The C-SPAN of Wisconsin must be saved

A bright light went out at the state Capitol last month. Lawmakers should plug it back in, with help from the public.

WisconsinEye, an independent nonprofit, stopped broadcasting gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative floor sessions, press conferences, public hearings and more from the statehouse and across Wisconsin.

A dry five-hour meeting might not sound like “must see TV.” But if that government panel is debating money for a road project near your home — or state rules for possible mega-farms, wind turbines or data centers — you’ll probably be grateful you and your neighbors can tune in. WisconsinEye doesn’t take sides on public policy. Often called the “C-SPAN of Wisconsin,” a reference to similar programming at the federal level, WisconsinEye dutifully turns on the cameras and microphones and lets them roll.

WisconsinEye went dark Dec. 15 — along with more than 30,000 hours of footage — because it is running out of money. That’s where the Legislature and public must help.

WisconsinEye used to cover most of its budget through private fundraising and donations — more than $26 million over two decades. But many of those sources stalled with the pandemic and never came back.

The Legislature shouldn’t need much convincing to help. With sweeping bipartisan support, lawmakers included $10 million in the previous state budget to help create an endowment for WisconsinEye. Unfortunately, that money wasn’t released, because the broadcaster failed to raise matching funds.

A reasonable solution is to use some of that money already set aside to keep WisconsinEye going while the Legislature finishes its session this spring. The broadcaster, with its director, five-member staff, equipment and services, costs about $100,000 a month to maintain.

With what’s left of the original $10 million commitment, the state should then create an endowment. If the fund earned 7 percent interest, it would cover about two-thirds of the broadcaster’s annual budget. WisconsinEye would have to raise a third of its costs through its annual program sponsors, small gifts, online donations and an annual fundraiser. That seems doable, given its stable of regular contributors and pledges it has already received.

A handful of Democrats proposed a state takeover of WisEye. But keeping the broadcaster independent is important so that one partisan side or incumbent politicians generally don’t control the cameras.

Maybe WisEye can find further savings. It also should look for ways to improve what it offers to the public, using technology and social media.

A rich record of deliberations and decisions serves the public good by keeping Wisconsin politics and government accountable to citizens. Transparency is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. WisconsinEye can broadcast as many as five events at the same time — and 15 a day — allowing everyone to watch live or go back and see what happened.

Please let your state lawmakers know you value WisconsinEye. And please contribute if you are able.

WisconsinEye must continue to serve as a vital window into our democracy at work.

This editorial about WisconsinEye was originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal.