A Wisconsin state senator believes WisconsinEye should stay, but they need to figure out how to fundraise.
Wisconsin Eye is the public affairs channel that shows committee and floor sessions at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Yesterday (December 15th) was their first day they suspended coverage due to a lack of funding.
Their website, which is also unavailable, says it’s also due to “extreme competition and complete collapse in private funding marked by donor fatigue, competing nonprofit campaigns, record-breaking political fundraising, and economic uncertainty.”
State Senator Andre Jacque of New Franken explained on WOMT’s Be My Guest program that, while the group has received some state incentives in the past, he appreciates what they do.
“It is very helpful to be able to look back at committee hearings and listen to questions being asked again,” he noted. “Get a sense of what went on, if maybe you had another hearing going on at the same time.”
However, Sen. Jacque stated that WisconsinEye is not blameless because they’ve had a significant match incentive that he says has apparently raised no money.
The New Franklin Republican stated, “I don’t know how you go through fifty asks in a year and not bear fruit with any of them, but it sounds like they might have some issues with their consultant in that regard.”
WisconsinEye has about 30,000 feet of footage and needs more than $1 million in donations to cover its operational budget.
The public affairs network was established in 2007 and has been called Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN.
