SB 282-BROADCASTING PROMOTING CHARITABLE GAMING    CHAIR BUNDE announced SB 282 to be up for consideration. SENATOR GARY STEVENS, sponsor of SB 282, explained that it levels the playing field for broadcasters to promote raffles and lotteries in this state. Currently, radio and TV are banned from advertising charitable games whereas newspapers are free to advertise the same activities. Statutes also impede stations from assisting not-for-profit organizations in raising money and may also deny broadcasters equal protection under the federal and state constitutions sections dealing with broadcast media that are also engaged with print media. For example, local church raffles cannot be promoted by local radio and TV stations and Boy Scout fund raisers involving raffles may not be included in public service announcements; not-for-profit groups, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, are excluded from promoting fund raisers involving games of chance on radio and TV - even though they can advertise in the print media; various statewide events, such as the Iditarod, may not be promoted by broadcasters. 2:55:55 PM SENATOR SEEKINS asked if lotteries were legal in Alaska and if he anticipated any lotteries arriving from outside the state. SENATOR GARY STEVENS replied that radio broadcasters could better answer that question and he did not anticipate out of state lotteries coming to the state. CHAIR BUNDE thought that "lottery" and "raffle" might need a definition. SENATOR SEEKINS asked him to explain how this related to the Iditarod. REPRESENTATIVE GARY STEVENS replied that various statewide fund raising activities such as the Iditarod may not be promoted by broadcasters. SENATOR SEEKINS recalled that certain Calcutta-type events were allowed last year for groups like the Iditarod - that really weren't a lottery process. 2:58:30 PM CHAIR BUNDE noted that he had received information saying that rat racing was prohibited from advertising. He then asked the Department of Revenue representative about the definition of raffle and lottery. 2:59:07 PM DAN STICKLE, Economist, Department of Revenue, explained that raffle and lottery were defined the same way in AS 05.15.690, Section 38, as "the selling of rights to participate in the awarding of prizes in a game of chance conducted by the drawing for prizes by lot." 3:00:20 PM CHAIR BUNDE asked if the impetus behind the bill was equal access to advertising dollars by broadcast media. REPRESENTATIVE GARY STEVENS replied yes. 3:01:30 PM DENNIS BOOKEY, General Manager, Morris Communications, Anchorage, said he manages six radio stations. He also has a personal interest in an AM/FM small operation in Kodiak. He was the past president of the Alaska Broadcasters' Association when the original statute was enacted. He said that broadcasters aren't asking to expand gaming, but just don't want one form of media to be excluded over another. Most of this is public service oriented; the money isn't very significant. 3:03:03 PM CHAIR BUNDE asked why the original prohibition was created. MR. BOOKEY replied that the FCC had regulations against this, but the federal government realized that the restriction on broadcasters for a charitable nonprofit organization did not fit with the times and changed the law. It gave states time to come up with their own law. At first broadcasters wanted to take advantage of the change by doing some games of chance on the air since they were already nonprofits. The Attorney General suggested that while there was nothing in the law precluding them from doing it, it might be a good idea to get a law saying they could. The current statute brought that point up, but an amendment was added that precluded it and broadcasters were not able to stop it. He said, "So, it kind of got convoluted in the process." 3:04:45 PM CHAIR BUNDE asked if this legislation had a companion bill. SENATOR GARY STEVENS replied yes. CHAIR BUNDE said he didn't understand the prohibition for the animal classics. He asked Senator Gary Stevens to explore that for the next meeting. SENATOR ELLIS asked if there is any limitation on these being 501(c)(3)s or some other category in state or could outside charitable interests run their games here and advertise if this were to be allowed. SENATOR GARY STEVENS responded that he would find that out as well for the next meeting. 3:05:39 PM CHAIR BUNDE said he would hold SB 282 for a future meeting.