Public Broadcasting Faulted For Spending Millions Without Approval

By Nick
DiMarcoNick@MarylandReporter.com

The Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission has been faulted for spending millions of dollars for services without properly seeking competitive bids, executing a contract or requesting approval from the Board of Public works -- all of which are in violation of state procurement regulations.

The findings come from a report released Monday by the Office of Legislative Audits. All told, the spending adds up to about $2.7 million.The 11-member commission operates the six Maryland Public Television stations. In 2009 MPBC's operating expenditures reached about $28 million, with the majority coming from viewers and corporate contributions.

MPT representatives vehemently disagreed with the audit, responding that it "omits critical facts and fails to provide the proper context to fully understand the circumstances at the time."
Legislative Auditor Bruce Myers says that while the commission eventually agreed to abide by state regulations on five out of the six findings recommendations in the audit, "There’s a whole lot of disagreement before you get to that.”

The audit found that the commission did not follow state regulations when spending $2.7 million on marketing in 2005 and 2007. The commission also faced criticism for the way it paid contracted vendors.

The $1 million marketing cost in 2005 has come up in a previous audit. The measure appeared on a Board of Public Works agenda for approval in December, but was withdrawn and never returned.

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